Linear Programming and Operations Research

Math 332

Fall 2008 Course Description Sheet

Instructor: Dr. Carol Haddad Office: South 330D

Time: M W F 10:30 - 11:20pm (South 336) Phone: x-5475, x-5384

e-mail: haddad@geneseo.edu website: http://www.geneseo.edu/~haddad

Office Hours: M W 12:30 – 1:30, T F 8:30-9:20 or BY APPOINTMENT only if you cannot make the office hours. If you have any questions, drop by! If I am preoccupied, we can set up an appointment at a mutually convenient time.

Text: Introduction to Operations Research, by Hillier and Lieberman, 8th ed., McGraw-Hill. (I will supplement with other materials.)

Calculator: TI-89, TI-89 Titanium, Voyager 2000 or TI-92+

Description

The main emphasis of this course is to introduce students to operations research problems,, to show students how to formulate the problem and to demonstrate different techniques for solving them. Topics to be covered may include the Simplex Method, Network Simplex Method, the Assignment Problem, Dynamic Programming, Network Optimization, and Game Theory.

Advice:            

One of the essential characteristics of college life that distinguishes it from secondary school is the increased responsibility placed on you for your own education. Most of what you will learn will not be told to you by a teacher inside a classroom. Even if our model of you were an empty vessel waiting passively to be filled with information and wisdom, there wouldn’t be time enough in our daily meetings to present and explain it all. We see you, more appropriately, as an active learner ready to confront aggressively the often times subtle and difficult ideas our courses contain. You will need to listen and to read carefully, to master concepts by wrestling with numerous examples and problems, and to ask thoughtful questions.

Evaluation of grade will be based on the following:

Quizzes, Graded Homework, Labs, Projects 30%

2 exams 40%

Comprehensive Final Exam/Final Project 30%

Tentative Exam Dates: Fridays, 3:00 – 5:00 pm, Oct. 3 and Dec. 1

October Break: October 13, 14 Withdrawal deadline: November 7, 2008

Thanksgiving Break: Nov. 26 – 30 Final Exam: Friday, December 12, 8am – 11am

Tentative Course Outline

Chapters 1-2: Overview of Operations Research (0.5 week)

Chapters 3-5: Linear Programming, Simplex Algorithm (3.5 weeks)

Chapter 6: Duality Theory and Sensitivity Analysis (1.0 weeks)

Chapter 8: Special LP formulations (1.0 weeks)

Chapter 9: Network Optimization (2.0 weeks)

Chapter 10: Dynamic Programming (1 week)

Chapter 11: Integer Programming (1 week)

Chapter 14: Introduction to Game Theory (1 week)

Notes:

1. I EXPECT YOU TO ATTEND ALL CLASSES IN THEIR ENTIRETY, unless you have cleared it with me ahead of time. Please be on time and expect to remain the entire period.

2. I will assign ten approximately weekly homework assignments––the due dates may vary from week to week. You may study in groups and consult with me during office hours, but each student must submit an individual write-up (that means you do your own work-do not copy it from your partner). All work must be your own. I will drop your lowest homework score in computing your final grade, so you can miss one assignment without penalty. I do not expect that you will be able to complete a week's assignment in one sitting! Budget time between each class for reading the text, reviewing your notes and working problems. You will find it difficult to follow class lectures if you are not keeping up.

3. As often as is necessary, I will give “reading quizzes” to insure that you have done the reading. This may involve a short in-class quiz, or a longer take-home quiz that must be handed in at the beginning of class. You should take notes on the previous night’s reading and bring them to class with you to use on the quiz.

4. Make-ups for exams will be given only with permission given PRIOR to the exam from me, or with a verifiable medical excuse, or with permission from the Dean of Students. Please see me as soon as possible if you miss an exam. There will be no make-ups for quizzes or reading quizzes.

5. I DO NOT GIVE individual EXTRA CREDIT PROJECTS SO PLEASE DO NOT ASK

Occasionally, extra credit may be earned by attending certain math talks.

6. Office hours are there for you to get help. Appointments should be made if you CANNOT attend scheduled

office hours. Please stop by if and when you have any questions that were not adequately discussed during class. Please come prepared with intelligent questions. Please don't wait until the last minute to seek help.

7. You should expect to spend a minimum of 2-3 hours outside of class for each hour in class of this course

8. Cell phones, computers, head phones, PDAs, such as Palm Pilots, Blackberries, etc., recording or playback

devices such as iPods, Walkmans, CAMERAS, etc. are forbidden in class.

9. If you are caught cheating, then you will automatically receive a 0 on whatever you were working on, and you

will be subject to Academic and Dishonesty Procedures outlined in Undergraduate Bulletin.

10. If you require additional time on quizzes/exams you must obtain a note from Tabitha Buggie-Hunt at the Office

of Disability Services. You are responsible for arranging additional time each time if you require it, in particular for each exam and the final exam.

11. BE SURE TO CHECK YOUR E-MAIL or MyCourses FOR ASSIGNMENTS/UPDATES SEVERAL TIMES A

DAY.

NOTE: To use IOR Tutorial on a Mac go to http://www.mhhe.com/engcs/industrial/hillier/iortutorial/install/instruction.html#mac

Please feel free to contact me by e-mail or in person. I generally do not check voice mail