Book Description

The contributions to this volume have all been translated from the second volume of the Russian journal Discrete Analysis and Operational Research, published at the Sobolev Institute of Mathematics, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia, in 1995.The papers collected here give an excellent overview of recent Russian research in such topics as analysis of algorithms, combinatorics, coding theory, graphs, lower bounds for complexity of Boolean functions and scheduling theory, and can be seen as an update of the book Discrete Analysis and Operational Research, published by Kluwer in 1996.Audience: This book will be of interest to specialists in discrete mathematics and computer science, and engineers. ... Read more

Book Description

In this, the second of a two-volume paperback edition of the landmark Handbook of Organization Studies, editors Stewart R. Clegg, Cynthia Hardy, and Walter R. Nord survey the major issues and debates in management and organization. The text addresses key topics such as leadership, decision making, and innovation in organizations alongside such themes as diversity, globalization, and ecology. Students and teachers of management will find this a comprehensive and wide-ranging resource on the core issues for contemporary managers and organizations. ... Read more

Book Description

This book presents an in-depth study and a solution technique for an important class of optimization problems. This class is characterized by special constraints: parameter-dependent convex programs, variational inequalities or complementarity problems. All these so-called equilibrium constraints are mostly treated in a convenient form of generalized equations. The book begins with a chapter on auxiliary results followed by a description of the main numerical tools: a bundle method of nonsmooth optimization and a nonsmooth variant of Newton's method. Following this, stability and sensitivity theory for generalized equations is presented, based on the concept of strong regularity. This enables one to apply the generalized differential calculus for Lipschitz maps to derive optimality conditions and to arrive at a solution method. A large part of the book focuses on applications coming from continuum mechanics and mathematical economy. A series of nonacademic problems is introduced and analyzed in detail. Each problem is accompanied with examples that show the efficiency of the solution method.This book is addressed to applied mathematicians and engineers working in continuum mechanics, operations research and economic modelling. Students interested in optimization will also find the book useful. ... Read more

Book Description

This monograph focuses on a class of problems that in effect have yet to be solved. Location, scheduling and design problems are assignment type problems with quadratic cost functions and occur in many contexts. Applications of these problems abound in diverse disciplines, such as anthropology, archeology, architecture, chemistry, computer science, economics, electronics, ergonomics, marketing, operations management, political science, statistical physics, zoology, etc.Padberg and Rijal have taken an important step in the solution of these problems. In this monograph they classify mathematical properties for ten classes of assignment problems: Quadratic Assignment Problems, Traveling Salesman Problems, Triangulation Problems, Linear Assignment Problems, VLSI Circuit Layout Design Problems, Multi-Processor Problems, Scheduling Problems with Interaction Costs, Operation-Scheduling Problems, Graph and Clique Partitioning Problems, and Boolean Quadratic Problems. They note that before these problems can be solved computationally, one must know and understand their mathematical properties. After discussing these properties, an integer programming approach is offered for solving them. The computational approach has shown considerable algorithmic success. The heart of this monograph is the theoretical work on assignment problems and the computation results that were produced using algorithms developed at NYU.The authors conclude that implementing a proper branch-and-cut algorithm on these types of problems will push the limits of exact computation far beyond the current ones. ... Read more

Book Description

The management of production and service processes can be supported by microcomputer simulation models--effectively and inexpensively--if the techniques are presented in an understandable manner. Drs. Klafehn, Weinroth and Boronico prove this and show how to do it--not only for the benefit of operations managers themselves, but for others with management responsibilities in a variety of businesses and industries. They will learn how important daily operations problems can be modeled on a microcomputer, gain understanding of overall simulation methodology, and learn the several forms of cost savings achievable through simulation. For teachers in business schools the book will also provide a link between general management and the management of engineering and R&D. ... Read more

Book Description

Technology, people, e-workplaces: these are the elements that fast moving organizations use to meet changing business requirements by using technology to invent new business processes, to re-align organizational structures, and to implement new management practices. Moreover, it has become apparent in today's global information economy, the most critical--indeed the primary--resource that distinguishes market leaders from everyone else is human talent! Countries, communities, and organizations are suddenly very interested in developing the human capacities that will allow them to compete in a networked world. Successful growing organizations have placed the combined development of information technology and human resources as their top priority.With the help of human resource professionals, organizations must grasp the pertinent aspects of both people and technology issues to create an effective e-workplace. These issues occur at the intersection of the disciplines of computer science, operation research, and human resource development. Because these issues are complex, they can best be understood through cross-disciplinary collaboration among experts who approach them from a range of perspectives. Human Resource Development and Information Technology: Making Global Connections presents just such a collaborative effort from leaders in the field. This book describes the changes that are occurring as technology plays a more central role in human resource development. It compares methods and tools that organizations can use to create their own practices for developing their most critical resource--people! In addition, the authors pose a set of interesting research questions that will help us further explore how countries, local communities, and organizations build dynamic systems for developing a sustained competitive advantage with human talent. ... Read more

Book Description

Individual Charts explains how to quickly detect specific types of process changes by adding statistical control limits to time plots.The information is presented in a straightforward, easy-to-understand manner through a series of exercises and case studies.Users learn how to select the right tool for the task at hand, collect the right data, interpret the data, and take appropriate action based on their findings. ... Read more

Book Description

The telecommunications industry is experiencing a worldwide explosion of growth as few other industries ever have. However, as recently as a decade ago, the bulk of telecommunications services were delivered by the traditional telephone network, for which design and analysis principles had been under steady development for over three-quarters of a century. This environment was characterized by moderate and steady growth, with an accompanying slower development of new network equipment and standardization processes. In such a near-static environment, attention was given to optimization techniques to squeeze out better profits from existing and limited future investments. To this end, forecasts of network services were developed on a regular planning cycle and networks were optimized accordingly, layer by layer, for cost-effective placement of capacity and efficient utilization. In particular, optimization was based on a fairly stable set of assumptions about the network architecture, equipment models, and forecast uncertainty.This special edition is devoted to heuristic approaches for telecommunications network management, planning, and expansion. We hope that this collection brings to the attention of researchers and practitioners an array of techniques and case studies that meet the stringent `time to market' requirements of this industry and which deserve exposure to a wider audience. Telecommunications will face a tremendous challenge in the coming years to be able to design, build, and manage networks in such a rapidly evolving industry. Development and application of heuristic methods will be fundamental in our ability to meet this challenge. ... Read more

Book Description

The subject area of the volume is multiple criteria decision making (MCDM), which is concerned with the methods and techniques by which multiple conflicting objectives can be formally incorporated into the management planning process. Constituting the selected proceedings of the most recent International Conference on Multiple Criteria Decision Making, the forty-five articles in the volume provide significant content on the latest in developments and new ideas taking place in theory and practice of the rapidly growing field of MCDM. ... Read more

Book Description

This book surveys the literature on intertemporal utility and provides a fundamental analysis of dynamic decision making. In the survey part a comprehensive classification system is introduced which allows for a coherent organization of the heterogenous literature on intertemporal utility. The second part addresses fundamental aspects of intertemporal desicion making. Special attention is paid to "dynamic choice mechanisms". These mechanisms are rules which transform an individual`s intertemporal sequence of preferences into actual decisions. ... Read more

Book Description

The effectiveness of policy decisions depends not only on the quality of the analysis but also on the communication between analyst and decision-maker. As a result, this book employs the following three-step decomposition of the decision modeling process throughout the book: (1) visual-structural modeling, (2) analytic-formal modeling, and (3) algorithmic resolution modeling. The 10 chapters address the most relevant issues in decision modeling in policy management: the problem-solving process, visual decision modeling, descriptive and normative preference elicitation and aggregation methods, dealing with uncertainty in dynamic problems, social choices, conflict resolution, and constraint-optimization problems. A problem-oriented engineering approach has been taken throughout the book because this approach covers the most popular decision modeling issues in: (1) decision analysis (decision trees, probabilistic influence diagrams, fuzzy decision-making, risk analysis), (2) operations research (facility location, scheduling, linear and non-linear programming, network optimization), and (3) economics (cost-benefit analysis, capital budgeting, shadow prices, marginal rate of substitution, net present value, game theory).Decision Modeling in Policy Management: + Introduces a visual approach to decision modeling in policy management (over 100 figures and illustrations), integrating the European School (outranking relations, dimension reduction, ordinal preferences, rank correlation) and the American School (utility theory, analytic hierarchy process, game theory, constraint-optimization). + Presents analytic approaches in the context of structural, formal, and resolution modeling; references to further practical and theoretical readings; intuitive visual reasoning; detailed numerical examples replacing theorems and formal proofs. + Discusses new decision analytical features: visual interactive preference ordering; dynamic plots in virtual negotiation; hypermedia influence diagram modeling. + Integrates 100 problems with worked-out solutions; an Internet syllabus with assignments, students comments, and Internet multimedia software are available. ... Read more

Book Description

This book explores the meta-heuristics approach called tabu search, which is dramatically changing our ability to solve a host of problems that stretch over the realms of resource planning, telecommunications, VLSI design, financial analysis, scheduling, space planning, energy distribution, molecular engineering, logistics, pattern classification, flexible manufacturing, waste management, mineral exploration, biomedical analysis, environmental conservation and scores of other problems. The major ideas of tabu search are presented with examples that show their relevance to multiple applications. Numerous illustrations and diagrams are used to clarify principles that deserve emphasis, and that have not always been well understood or applied. The book's goal is to provide `hands-on' knowledge and insight alike, rather than to focus exclusively either on computational recipes or on abstract themes. This book is designed to be useful and accessible to researchers and practitioners in management science, industrial engineering, economics, and computer science. It can appropriately be used as a textbook in a masters course or in a doctoral seminar. Because of its emphasis on presenting ideas through illustrations and diagrams, and on identifying associated practical applications, it can also be used as a supplementary text in upper division undergraduate courses.Finally, there are many more applications of tabu search than can possibly be covered in a single book, and new ones are emerging every day. The book's goal is to provide a grounding in the essential ideas of tabu search that will allow readers to create successful applications of their own. Along with the essential ideas, understanding of advanced issues is provided, enabling researchers to go beyond today's developments and create the methods of tomorrow. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Might be good for a reference...
Probably the most bloated book I've ever encountered. It seems like this isn't targeted for computer science students. It was completely impossible to read it without falling asleep, because the book could go on and on for pages without presenting anything new except that 1+1=2.

The best source for learning about tabu search would be to read a basic book about (combinatorial) optimization just to teach the vocabulary (like an exact neighborhood etc.). After that, just head to springerlink and download a few articles from the Lectures in Computer Science-series or use some other source for papers relating to applications of tabu search to various optimization problems.

This book is quite good for a reference though.

Great book but too expensive
It's good to read the book that the writer and inventor of theory are the same person. Glover and Laguna conduct this book in a self-comprehensive book. I've never found any good resource of Tabu Search as great as this book. Only drawback is the price... too expensive for student. I only read it in the library though. I'm glad to know they have the paperback edition but I'm not sure about the quality of printing. Lastly, get it whenver you can afford it!. It's worth your money every characters. ... Read more