In science, technology and economics, linear and combinatorial optimization problems appear more and more often. The most well known example is linear programming, where the so called simplex method has been of utmost importance in industry since it was invented in the middle of the 20th century. Other important problems, e.g. for effective data processing, contain discrete variables, for example integers. In connection with these, the importance of combinatorial methods has grown. The aim of the course is to make the students aware of problems in linear and combinatorial optimization which are important in the applications, and to give them knowledge about mathematical methods for their solution. The aim is also to make the students develop their ability to solve problems, with and without the use of a computer.
