This textbook offers a comprehensive, up-to-date introduction to the Optimization Programming Language (OPL). Embedded in the IBM ILOG CPLEX Optimization Studio with its solver engine CPLEX, OPL has been popular for years not only for academic and scientific purposes, but also among practitioners who need to model and solve large-scale real-world business optimization problems. The book covers the recent features of the software and includes ten consecutive tutorials, each with additional exercises, as well as several comprehensive application studies.

This textbook offers a comprehensive, up-to-date introduction to the Optimization Programming Language (OPL). Embedded in the IBM ILOG CPLEX Optimization Studio with its solver engine CPLEX, OPL has been popular for years not only for academic and scientific purposes, but also among practitioners who need to model and solve large-scale real-world business optimization problems. The book covers the recent features of the software and includes ten consecutive tutorials, each with additional exercises, as well as several comprehensive application studies.

This open access book demonstrates all the steps required to design heuristic algorithms for difficult optimization. The classic problem of the travelling salesman is used as a common thread to illustrate all the techniques discussed. This problem is ideal for introducing readers to the subject because it is very intuitive and its solutions can be graphically represented. The book features a wealth of illustrations that allow the concepts to be understood at a glance.

The book approaches the main metaheuristics from a new angle, deconstructing them into a few key concepts...