This work is concerned with theoretical developments in the area of mathematical programming, development of new algorithms and software and their applications in science and industry. It aims to expose recent mathematical developments to a larger audience in science and industry.

This book is concerned with theoretical developments in the area of mathematical programming including new algorithms (analytic and heuristic) and their applications in science and industry. It exposes recent mathematical developments to a larger audience in science and industry who may not be equipped with the necessary research background and provides good references in many branches of mathematical programming. The text includes research and tutorial papers giving details of use of recent developments in applied areas, as well as review and state-of-the-art papers providing a soruce of references to researchers in this field.

Mathematical Programming, a branch of Operations Research, is perhaps the most efficient technique in making optimal decisions. It has a very wide application in the analysis of management problems, in business and industry, in economic studies, in military problems and in many other fields of our present day activities. In this keen competetive world, the problems are getting more and more complicated ahnd efforts are being made to deal with these challenging problems. This book presents from the origin to the recent developments in mathematical programming. The book has wide coverage and is self-contained. It is suitable both as a text and as a reference. * A wide ranging all encompasing overview of mathematical programming from its origins to recent developments * A result of over thirty years of teaching experience in this feild * A self-contained guide suitable both as a text and as a reference

The starting point of this volume was a conference entitled "Progress in Mathematical Programming," held at the Asilomar Conference Center in Pacific Grove, California, March 1-4, 1987. The main topic of the conference was developments in the theory and practice of linear programming since Karmarkar's algorithm. There were thirty presentations and approximately fifty people attended. Presentations included new algorithms, new analyses of algorithms, reports on computational experience, and some other topics related to the practice of mathematical programming. Interestingly, most of the progress reported at the conference was on the theoretical side. Several new polynomial algorithms for linear program ming were presented (Barnes-Chopra-Jensen, Goldfarb-Mehrotra, Gonzaga, Kojima-Mizuno-Yoshise, Renegar, Todd, Vaidya, and Ye). Other algorithms presented were by Betke-Gritzmann, Blum, Gill-Murray-Saunders-Wright, Nazareth, Vial, and Zikan-Cottle. Efforts in the theoretical analysis of algo rithms were also reported (Anstreicher, Bayer-Lagarias, Imai, Lagarias, Megiddo-Shub, Lagarias, Smale, and Vanderbei). Computational experiences were reported by Lustig, Tomlin, Todd, Tone, Ye, and Zikan-Cottle. Of special interest, although not in the main direction discussed at the conference, was the report by Rinaldi on the practical solution of some large traveling salesman problems. At the time of the conference, it was still not clear whether the new algorithms developed since Karmarkar's algorithm would replace the simplex method in practice. Alan Hoffman presented results on conditions under which linear programming problems can be solved by greedy algorithms."

In the late forties, Mathematical Programming became a scientific discipline in its own right. Since then it has experienced a tremendous growth. Beginning with economic and military applications, it is now among the most important fields of applied mathematics with extensive use in engineering, natural sciences, economics, and biological sciences. The lively activity in this area is demonstrated by the fact that as early as 1949 the first "Symposium on Mathe matical Programming" took place in Chicago. Since then mathematical programmers from all over the world have gath ered at the intfrnational symposia of the Mathematical Programming Society roughly every three years to present their recent research, to exchange ideas with their colleagues and to learn about the latest developments in their own and related fields. In 1982, the XI. International Symposium on Mathematical Programming was held at the University of Bonn, W. Germany, from August 23 to 27. It was organized by the Institut fUr Okonometrie und Operations Re search of the University of Bonn in collaboration with the Sonderforschungs bereich 21 of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft. This volume constitutes part of the outgrowth of this symposium and docu ments its scientific activities. Part I of the book contains information about the symposium, welcoming addresses, lists of committees and sponsors and a brief review about the Ful kerson Prize and the Dantzig Prize which were awarded during the opening ceremony.