MProbe software: for analyzing mathematical programs of all types. For example, you can estimate the effectiveness of the constraints, or the likelihood of reaching a global optimum, or sort constraints in user-defined ways. Includes facilities for estimating the "shape" (convex? concave? both? linear?) of nonlinear functions and constrained regions having many variables.

MINOS(IIS): for analyzing infeasible linear programs. You can find an Irreducible Infeasible Subset (IIS) of constraints, or determine a small number of constraints to remove such that the remainder form a feasible set. MINOS(IIS) is a modified version of the well-known MINOS 5.4 solver.

MPS File Reader: A windows object for creating, editing, reading and writing MPS files (The MPS file format is an old but durable format for saving linear and mixed-integer programming models). Displays constraints and objective functions in a natural human-readable form.  Can evaluate functions directly and return the values to the calling routine.  Exposes over convenient properties and methods.

AMPL Reader Object: A windows object for reading optimization models specified in the AMPL language, and then exposing a convenient set of properties and methods.

GAMS Reader Object: A windows object for reading optimization models specified in the GAMS language, and then exposing a convenient set of properties and methods.

NEOS: the “Network-Enabled Optimization System”, a free on-line system for submitting optimization problems to a wide range of solvers and receiving the solutions.

AMPL: a modelling language for mathematical programming. Handles linear and nonlinear programming, networks, integer programs etc. Allows linkages to multiple solvers.

COIN-OR: the Computational Infrastructure for Operations Research.  A useful collection of open-source optimization software.

These links connect to interesting sites related to optimization.

The glossary of mathematical programming terms, many not found in standard dictionaries of mathematics.

The linear programming FAQ page.  Includes pointers to software, test models, etc.

The nonlinear programming FAQ page. Includes pointers to software, test models, etc.

Netlib homepage: the netlib is a repository of optimization software and data sets. It's been around a long time and has a lot of good material (for example, the library of infeasible LP models which I contributed!).

A collection of infeasible mixed-integer programs. 

For students: a collection of links for students of optimization, mathematical programming, and operations research.

How to Organize Your Thesis: a brief guide to what graduate thesis research is all about, including notes on how to organize the thesis document. I wrote the original version of this short note for my own students in 1988, but it is now widely circulated and seems to have helped many students over the years.

The Graduate Thesis Defence: some notes on what to expect at your graduate thesis defence at Carleton University (our procedures are typical), and how to prepare for it.

A Survival Guide for Graduate Students in the Computer and Mathematical Sciences: an interesting collection of advice for students, including another view on writing the thesis.

Advice on Research and Writing for Computer Scientists : another collection of advice for students, primarily in the computer science area.

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Last modified: June 13, 2013.