HNRS-241 | Finding the Best Solution

Full Title: Finding the Best Solution: Efficiency & Optimization

Topic Description:

How do we balance efficiency and optimization when searching for solutions to a problem? When should we accept a solution that is close enough to optimal in order to reach an answer in an efficient amount of time? Each unit will relate to a specific civic concern, whether it is how to plan delivery or snow plow routes, laying fiber optic cable to connect customers without adding unnecessary redundancy, or how to assign tasks to employees based on various restrictions and skills. These optimization problems will be analyzed using the methodology of graph theory and mathematics, with a focus on how well the solution algorithms perform. We will discuss techniques for framing our questions in terms of graph structures and the algorithms used to find solutions. A final project will apply these techniques to a problem of interest to an area business or organization.

Counts as Global? No

Topic Approved: October 2020