Optimization: A case for the development of new mathematical concepts (Q749440)

``The purpose of this article is to explain briefly the nature of optimization as a rapidly expanding field and the importance of fundamental mathematical research in its continued success. The main point is that the applicability and computational vigor of any subject depend heavily on the conceptual framework that is available. This framework needs to be developed with originality, rigor and an eye for the right level of abstraction. Such development will not take place if left in the hands of practitioners attending to just a narrow range of applications. It requires the dedicated efforts of trained mathematicians'' (From the text). The idea of optimization occurs naturally in decision-making problems in many fields such as economics, engineering and management science. It occurs also in nondecision-making contexts auch as characterization problems of equilibrium behavior in physical and biological systems. In mathematical economics, optimization often involves multiple objectives and rival agents reactions; stochastic factors and uncertainty elements add further realism. A vast array of fundamental conceptual and mathematical tools have been developed, since the 1950's, in order to tackle these problems. The author illustrates his point with conceptual developments from linear programming theory, such as duality, minimax solution two-person zero-sum game, etc., and observes: ``The arrival of computers, far from signaling that everything is over except for the computations, has shaken long- standing ideas and presented new challenges that mathematicians will long be working hard to meet.''