620-362 Applied Operations Research

Credit Points

HECS Band

Coordinator

Prerequisites

620-361 or 620-262. Also recommended is 620-131 or Computer Science 433-141.

Semester

Contact

Subject Description

This subject introduces the technical issues involved in applying operations research principles, methods, and algorithms in the solution of real-world problems, and the practical aspects of group projects in operations research. Students should develop the ability to apply various operations research methods, algorithms and software in the solution of practical problems; and to participate successfully in group projects in operations research, including preparing reports and giving presentations. This subject demonstrates the scope and limitation of operations research methods, algorithms and software as far as solving practical problems is concerned. It also exhibits the practical issues and difficulties involved in group projects in operations research.

Practical and technical aspects of various operations research methods for linear programming, integer programming and combinatorial optimisation are covered, including topics selected from complexity, interior point methods, cutting planes, branch-and-bound, meta-heuristics, special heuristics and constraint logic programming. Students examine applications in vehicle routing, facility location, cutting stock, manpower planning, and machine scheduling and other logistics problems; and become familiar with operations research software.

Assessment

Up to 100 pages of project reports and written assignments, and up to 2-hour mid-semester test.