The goal of a combinatorial optimization problem is to find the best ordering of a set of discrete items. A classic combinatorial optimization challenge is the Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP). The ...

Dr. James McCaffrey of Microsoft Research shows how to implement simulated annealing for the Traveling Salesman Problem (find the best ordering of a set of discrete items). The goal of a combinatorial ...

Over the course of my 25-year career in the mathematical optimization software industry, I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve been asked this question: “Can you tell me what mathematical ...