CE5972

Optimisation Techniques

Objectives:

  1. To develop fundamental understanding of different optimisation techniques applied in transportation engineering.
  2. To model complex transportation problems and solve them using suitable optimisation methods.
  3. To interpret solutions derived from optimisation models and make informed managerial decisions in real-world transportation scenarios.

Course Content:

  1. Linear programming: Principles of linear programming including the formulation of the objective function, decision variables, and constraints within the context of transportation engineering; graphical method and simplex algorithm; sensitivity analysis and duality; inferring results and making decisions.
  2. Non-linear programming: Principles of non-linear programming and associated solution methods including local search heuristics, evolutionary computation techniques, and swarm intelligence algorithms.
  3. Transportation Engineering problems: Variants of transportation problem, assignment problem, trans-shipment problem, least-cost path problem, traveling salesman problem, vehicle routing problem, facility location problem, and network design problem.

Textbooks:

  1. Hillier, F. S., & Lieberman, G. J. (2024). Introduction to operations research. (12th edition). McGraw-Hill.
  2. Winston, W. L. (2022). Operations Research: Applications and Algorithms. (4th edition). Cengage Learning.
  3. Al-Khateeb, G. (2020). Solved Practical Problems in Transportation Engineering. (1st edition). Taylor & Francis Group.

Reference Books:

  1. Taha, H. A. (2022). Operations Research: An Introduction. (11th edition). Pearson Education India.
  2. Balakrishnan, N., Render, B., & Stair, R. M. (2013). Managerial decision modelling with spreadsheets. (3rd edition). Prentice Hall Press.

Lectures:

SNo. Topic
01 Introduction
02 Five Step Process
03 Problem Types
04 Linear Programming
05 Graphical Solution Method
06 Graphical Solution Method
07 Assignment #1 Discussion
08 Spreadsheet-based Solution Method
09 Basic Linear Algebra
10 Simplex Method
11 Sensitivity Analysis
12 Duality
13 Assignment #2 Discussion
- Quiz-I
14 Quiz-I Discussion
15 Python Programming
16 Transportation Problem
17 Transshipment Problem
18 Minimum Spanning Tree Problem
19 Maximum Flow Problem
20 Assignment #3 Discussion
21 Least-Cost Path Problem
22 Travelling Salesman Problem
23 Vehicle Routing Problem
24 Location Routing Problem
25 Assignment #4 Discussion
- Quiz-II
26 Quiz-II Discussion
27 Non-Linear Programming
28 Metaheuristics
29 Hill Climb
31 Threshold Accepting
32 Simulated Annealing
33 Tabu Search
34 Iterative Local Search
35 Variable Neighbourhood Search
36 Evolutionary Computation
37 Swarm Intelligence
38 Case Study
39 Case Study
40 Assignment #5 Discussion
41 Surplus Lecture
42 Surplus Lecture
- End Sem