mathematics

Mathematical Programming

Mathematical Programming is a mathematics topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Mathematical Programming rather than just read about it. In short: Mathematical Programming is a peer-reviewed scientific journal that was established in 1971 and is published by Springer Science+Business Media. It is the official journal of the Mathematical Optimization Society and consists of two series: A and B.

Key takeaways

Mathematical Programming belongs to mathematics; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Mathematical Programming to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Mathematical Programming from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Mathematical Programming is a peer-reviewed scientific journal that was established in 1971 and is published by Springer Science+Business Media. It is the official journal of the Mathematical Optimization Society and consists of two series: A and B. The "A" series contains general publications, the "B" series focuses on topical mathematical programming areas. The editor-in-chief of Series A is Jon Lee (U Michigan); for Series B this is Sven Leyffer (Argonne).

History The journal has been published by Springer since January 1999. Mathematical Programming Studies is the predecessor of the Series B part of this journal.

Abstracting and indexing Mathematical Programming is abstracted and indexed in:

According to the Journal Citation Reports, the journal has a 2010 impact factor of 1.970.

References

External links Official website

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Mathematical Programming

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Mathematical Programming claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In mathematics, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Mathematical Programming before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Mathematical Programming ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Mathematical Programming

In research: Mathematical Programming appears in mathematics research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Mathematical Programming in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Mathematical Programming is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Academic journals established in 1971, English-language journals, Mathematical Optimization Society, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Mathematical Programming outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Mathematical Programming in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Mathematical Programming means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Mathematical Programming out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Mathematical Programming in simple terms?

Why does Mathematical Programming matter?

Because it connects several mathematics ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Mathematical Programming?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Mathematical Programming.