ADD-ONS OF OPERATIONS RESEARCH

Course category: B - Basic; C - Core Engineering; E - Specialization; P - Complementary

 

T - Lectures; TP - Theory and practice; PL - Lab Work; S - Seminar; OT - Tutorial Guidance

• Learning outcomes of the curricular unit

  This is an introductory course in Operational Research. The aim of this course is to familiarize students with the concepts, models and techniques for understanding and solving real problems. Objectives of the curricular unit and competences to be developed:

  1. Familiarize students with the method of problem solving used by Operations Research.

  2. Present some key techniques of operational research used to understand and solve technology and business problems.

  3. Familiarize students with some topics of Operational Research, Decision Theory, Networks and Project Planning, Sequential Problems, Replacement Models, Dynamic Programming, Waiting Queues, Stokes Management and Multicriteria Programming.

  4. Present and discuss models of Operational Research, highlighting the main practical aspects related to applying these models to technology and business problems.

• Syllabus

  1. Decision Theory .

  2. Networks and Project Planning.

  3. Sequential Problems.

  4. Replacement Models.

  5. Dynamic Programming.

  6. Waiting Queues.

  7. Stokes Management.

  8. Multicriteria Programming.

• Demonstration of the syllabus coherence with the curricular unit's objectives

  The teaching methodologies are consistent with the objectives of the course as the methodology that specifically targets the point 1 of the objectives and also all the other objectives. The methodology of work by students in solving exercises and case studies with the aim of consolidating the knowledge and approach of case studies and small research tasks for students to develop outside of contact hours possible to achieve the objectives 2-4. The evaluation methods allow reaching all the objectives.

• Teaching methodologies (including evaluation)

  Lectures, where the fundamental concepts and definitions are presented in a clear way with real application examples. Special emphasis is given to problems that interconnect modeling of real problems and the computational tools developed to address them.

  The assessment comprises two components, one theoretical and one practical. The theoretical component consists of two tests (minimum score of 8 points each, with a minimum average of the two test 9.5) conducted during the semester or of an examination (minimum grade of 9.5). The practical component consists of a practical assignment (minimum grade of 9.5), with presentation and discussion mandatory, with weighting of 30% of the final grade.

  The final grade of the student, NF, will be obtained by the formula

  NF = 0.7NT + 0.3NP ,

  where NT is the note of theoretical and NP the grade of the practical component.

• Demonstration of the coherence between the teaching methodologies and the learning outcomes

  The lectures are essential to a thorough and complete coverage of the program's topics, which come in response to situations and practical problems. The solution of exercises during class enables to illustrate the practical application of concepts and tools studied and also to consolidate the theoretical knowledge.

  For their contents and diversity, the exercise lists available enable the student to conveniently monitor all topics of the syllabus and are a valuable independent study instrument.

  In the practical assignment, the students will develop a program that integrates the knowledge acquired during the semester and solve the optimization problem proposed.

• Main bibliography

  1. Lieberman, G., Hillier, F., “Introduction to Operations Research”, McGrawHill, 10th Edition, 2015.

  2. Operations Research - An Introduction, Taha - Prentice Hall, 2012

  3. Hill, M. M., & Santos, M. M., "Investigação Operacional – Vol. 1: Programação Linear", Edições Silabo, 2ª edição, 2015.

  4. Hill, M. M., Santos, M. M., & Monteiro, A. L. "Investigação Operacional – Vol. 3: Transportes, Afectação e Optimização em Redes", Edições Sílabo, 1ª edição. 2015.

  5. Venkataraman, P., “Applied Optimization with MATLAB Programming”, John Wiley & Sons, 2009

  6. Winston, Wayne L.(2003). Operations Research: Applications and Algorithms, 4rd ed., Duxbury Press.

  7. PMI, A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide), 5th ed., Project Management Institute, Newton Square, PA, USA, 2013.