Optimization is the art, science and mathematics of finding the "best" member of a finite or infinite set of possible choices, based on some objective measure of the merit of each choice in the set. Three key facets of the subject are:

- the construction of optimization models that capture the range of available choices within a feasible set and the measure-of-merit of any particular choice in a feasible set relative to its competitors;

- the invention and implementation of efficient algorithms for solving optimization models;

- a mathematical...

The drama in The Tease Spoons proceeds on two levels. On one level, it portrays the comedic interaction---verbal banter, innuendo, wordplay---between two seemingly mismatched couples whose friendship is threatened by an impulsive act of betrayal by one of its principals. On the second level, it is a philosophical discourse, conveyed through a fifth dreamlike figure from a different plane of existence, whose imaginative soliloquy highlights the essential natures of our four principal characters. The interplay between two levels then shifts the dialog away from mundane, comedic human concerns...