definition · term 4 of 25
combinatorial optimization.
Finding the best solution among a finite but enormous set of possibilities, where each solution is a combination of discrete choices.
worked example20 jobs, 2.4 quintillion ordersTwenty jobs on one machine can be sequenced in 20! ways, about 2.4 quintillion. The solver never lists them; it reasons about which orders cannot win.
in plain language
Combinatorial problems ask which routes to take, which job goes on which machine, which items to include. The number of combinations grows exponentially with problem size, so listing them all is impossible for real instances. Methods include branch and bound, cutting planes, dynamic programming and heuristics.
combinatorial optimization, on your own decision.
Bring one recurring decision. Your planners see the terms of this glossary applied to their own rules and data.
- Glossary
- all 25 terms, a to z
- Problem types
- the decisions kint solves
- Comparisons
- kint next to other approaches
- Contact
- hello@kint.pro