Advanced Modeling for Discrete Optimization
Offered By
The University of Melbourne
The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Advanced Modeling for Discrete Optimization
The University of Melbourne
About this Course
4.9
47 ratings
Optimization is a common form of decision making, and is ubiquitous in our society. Its applications range from solving Sudoku puzzles to arranging seating in a wedding banquet. The same technology can schedule planes and their crews, coordinate the production of steel, and organize the transportation of iron ore from the mines to the ports. Good decisions in manpower and material resources management also allow corporations to improve profit by millions of dollars. Similar problems also underpin much of our daily lives and are part of determining daily delivery routes for packages, making school timetables, and delivering power to our homes. Despite their fundamental importance, all of these problems are a nightmare to solve using traditional undergraduate computer science methods.
This course is intended for students who have completed Basic Modelling for Discrete Optimization. In this course you will learn much more about solving challenging discrete optimization problems by stating the problem in a state-of-the-art high level modeling language, and letting library constraint solving software do the rest. This course will focus on debugging and improving models, encapsulating parts of models in predicates, and tackling advanced scheduling and packing problems. As you master this advanced technology, you will be able to tackle problems that were inconceivable to solve previously.
Watch the course promotional video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hc3cBvtrem0&t=8s
Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
Week
1Debugging and Improving Models
Similar to computer programs, models can have bugs. In this module, you will see the symptoms (unsatisfiability, too many solutions, too few solutions) of different bugs, and learn methods to discover what is going wrong with your model and how to fix it. Equipped with these tools, you will be able to develop and debug complex models.
22 videos (Total 266 min), 5 readings, 1 quiz
22 videos
2.1.1 Model Debugging7m
2.1.2 Tracing Models12m
2.1.3 Relational Semantics11m
2.1.4 Too Many Solutions8m
2.1.5 Missing Solutions17m
2.1.6 Basic Model Improvement19m
2.1.7 Module 1 Summary4m
Workshop 5 Solution23m
Assignment Submission - IDE7m
Assignment Submission - CLI4m
Reference 1: Basic Features13m
Reference 2: Booleans Expressions13m
Reference 3: Sets, Arrays and Comprehensions19m
Reference 4: Enumerated Types7m
Reference 5: Strings and Output8m
Reference 6: Option Types12m
Reference 7: Predicates8m
Reference 8: Flattening29m
Reference 9: Transforming Data15m
Reference 10: User Defined Functions10m
Reference 11: Command Line Interface8m
5 readings
Course Overview10m
Start of Course Survey10m
Getting MiniZinc10m
Workshop 5: Poetry Challenge30m
About the Reference Material2m
Week
2Predicates
In this module, you will learn how to encapsulate a complex constraint definition in a predicate definition to enable its reuse. This will enable the construction of far more complex models with improved readability in a modular manner. You will also encounter for the first time a problem with multiple objectives and learn how to compress them into one single objective. In addition to this, you will learn how to model the banquet seating problem, which will assist you in many occasions in life.
6 videos (Total 92 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz
6 videos
2.2.2 The let-in Construct17m
2.2.3 Using Predicates16m
2.2.4 Contexts22m
2.2.5 Module 2 Summary3m
Workshop 6 Solution24m
1 reading
Workshop 6: Weighing an Elephant: Part 115m
Week
3Scheduling
Learn how to tackle complex project scheduling problems of various forms, progressively from ones with only basic precedence requirements to ones with unary resources and even cumulative resources. You will see how to model some of the complex constraints that arise in these applications.
7 videos (Total 70 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz
7 videos
2.3.2 Disjunctive Scheduling10m
2.3.3 Cumulative Scheduling15m
2.3.4 Sequence Dependent Scheduling 112m
2.3.5 Sequence Dependent Scheduling 25m
2.3.6 Module 3 Summary3m
Workshop 7 Solution12m
1 reading
Workshop 7: Visiting Zhuge Liang20m
Week
4Packing
In this module, you will learn the important application of packing, from the packing of squares to rectilinear shapes with and without rotation. Again, you will see how to model some of the complex constraints that arise in these applications.
3 videos (Total 43 min)
3 videos
2.4.2 Rectilinear Packing without Rotation11m
2.4.3 Rectilinear Packing with Rotation15m
4.9
Top Reviews
By PC•Feb 18th 2018
Great course! I particularly appreciated the assignment and the staging which lets you build the final solution in a progressive manner. Looking for course 3 now...
By KP•Oct 3rd 2017
very rewarding and challenging assignments, thank you for this great course!
Instructors
Prof. Jimmy Ho Man Lee
ProfessorDepartment of Computer Science and Engineering
Prof. Peter James Stuckey
ProfessorComputing and Information Systems
About The University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is an internationally recognised research intensive University with a strong tradition of excellence in teaching, research, and community engagement. Established in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest University.
About The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Founded in 1963, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) is a forward looking comprehensive research university with a global vision and a mission to combine tradition with modernity, and to bring together China and the West. CUHK teachers and students hail from all corners of the world. CUHK graduates are connected worldwide through an expansive alumni network.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Once you enroll for a Certificate, you’ll have access to all videos, quizzes, and programming assignments (if applicable). Peer review assignments can only be submitted and reviewed once your session has begun. If you choose to explore the course without purchasing, you may not be able to access certain assignments.
What will I get if I purchase the Certificate?
When you purchase a Certificate you get access to all course materials, including graded assignments. Upon completing the course, your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
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