Integer linear programming (ILP) is a powerful framework for solving optimization problems related to scheduling, resource allocation, vehicle routing, and many other areas. This talk will give a brief introduction to ILP and show how to solve a real-world vehicle routing problem using Google's open-source python library for ILP.
How do airlines choose which planes service which routes? How does a hospital optimize the shift schedule for hundreds of doctors and nurses? How do you choose the optimal location for a group of fulfillment centers, or oil derricks, or cell towers? These kinds of problems (and many others!) can be solved with integer linear programming (ILP), a powerful and decades-old framework for solving optimization problems. In this talk we will give a brief introduction to ILP and describe it's uses, strengths, and weaknesses. We will also show how to solve a real-world vehicle routing problem using Google's open-source python library for ILP. Trigger warning: this talk will contain high-school level math.
