The main aim of the course is to give the students theoretical and operational tools for modelling and solving Operations Research problems coming from the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT).
Operations Research deals with the mathematical modelling of complex problems and related solution algorithms.Modelling the problem means to write it in terms of mathematical programming, i.e. identifying an objective function (which has to be minimized or maximized) and a set of constraints. Solving the problem means to find a solution which maximizes or minimizes the objective function without violating the constraints, and this is accomplished by using appropriate solution algorithms. Most recent solution algorithms will be discussed for each problem presented in the course.
The skills the students will get are those of problem solving for ICT problems.

1. Linear Programming: problems and methods, simplex method, duality.
2. Flows problems: graphs, transport problem, mean flow cost, shortest path, max flow, maximum matching.
3. Computational complexity.
4. Introduction to Combinatorial Optimization.

The students will make practice both in modelling and solving engineering problems in the classroom and in running optimization software in the computer lab.

R. Tadei, F. Della Croce, 'Elementi di Ricerca Operativa', Progetto Leonardo, Editrice Esculapio, Bologna, 2005.
M. Ghirardi, A. Grosso, G. Perboli, 'Esercizi di Ricerca Operativa', Progetto Leonardo, Editrice Esculapio, Bologna, 2005.
D. J. Luenberger, "Introduction to Linear and Nonlinear Programming", Addison-Wesley, 1973.