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Analytics and OR
DP- summary
Descriptive
(IT, CS)
Analytics
Predictive
(STAT)
Theory
and
methods
of OR
Prescriptive
(Application
of OR
methods)
OR
2
Thinking like an OR Analyst
Linear or non-linear
Dynamic or Static
Probabilistic or
Deterministic
Problem
Definition
Decision making in
optimization
One time decision or
sequential
decisions
Objective
• Availability
• Type (Static, dynamic (frequency of
collection), discrete, continuous)
• Size (Big Data)
• What is the objective of making the
decision(s) (Value Modeling can be used
here)
Big Data
Model
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• Computational
complexity
• Verification
• Validation
• Implementation
• Known, unknown (Learning)
• Which OR tool is appropriate
Solution
Strategy
The Big Picture
Operations
Research
(Math prog)
Static decisions
(One-time
decision)
Dynamic decisions
(sequential
decision)
Linear
Programming
Integer
Programming
4
Optimal
control
Continuous
time
Dynamic
programming
Discrete time
Deterministic
DP
Non-linear
Programming
Finite Horizon
problems
Mixed Integer
Programming
Infinite Horizon
problems
Metaheuristics
Decisions taken
over time as the
system evolves
Stochastic
DP
Finite Horizon
problems
Large-scale
problems
Infinite Horizon
problems
Approximate
Dynamic
programming
ODE
Approach
Dynamic programming
What is it?
Operates by finding the shortest path (minimize
cost) or longest path (maximize reward) of
decision making problems that are solved over
time
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Myopic vs DP thinking - find shortest path from
A to B
Cij=10
Cij= cost on the arc
1
40
A
B
20
2
10
Myopic policy: V(A)= min (Cij)
= min of (10 or 20)
leads to solution of 50 from A to 1 to B
DP policy: V(A) = min (Cij + V(next node))
= min (10 + 40, 20+10) = 30
leads to solution of 30 from A to 2 to B
Key is to find the values of node 1 and 2
How? By learning via simulation-based optimization
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Dynamic Programming!!
for
Sequential Decision Making (over time)
Is based on
the idea that
We want to move from one good state of the system to another
by
making an near-optimal decision
in the presence of uncertainty
It also means that the future state depends only on the current and the decision taken
in the presence of uncertainly (and not on the past – memory-less property)
The above is achieved via unsupervised learning that entails only
an interaction with the environment in a model-free setting
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Simulation-based Optimization

In more complex problems such as helicopter
control the Optimizer is an Artificial
Intelligence (Learning) Agent
Environment (uncertainty)
System simulator built
using probability
distributions from
real-world data
Decisions
Dynamic Programming
Optimizer
(learning agent)
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Output
(Objective function)
In Summary
OR
Descriptive
(IT, CS)
OR Models
OR, CS
IT
Computational
complexity
Data storage
Analytics
Predictive
(STAT)
Optimization
in Prescriptive
Analytics
Prescriptive
(Application
of OR
methods)
Theory and
methods of OR
Data
Visualization
& Statistical
analysis
OR
STAT
Algorithms
for solving
OR
BIG Data
and data
mining
IT, CS
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In Summary – Main take away
In Big Data decision making Problems (Prescriptive Analytics)
Understand characteristics of the data, linear/non-linear, deterministic or
probabilistic, static or dynamic (frequency of collection)
Beware of
1. Myopic policies
2. Exhaustive enumeration of all solutions
3. Computational Complexity
Look for appropriate modeling and solution strategies that can provide
near-optimal decisions (good-enough) In the long run for the problem at
hand.
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For this course - Main take away
Value function V is cumulative
When making a decision sequentially over time (dynamic
programming), make sure to sum the cost/reward of making the
decision with the value of the estimated future state that the decision
will take you to. Then pick a decision that minimizes (if cost) or
maximizes (if reward) the above sum.
DP can handle
-non-linear
-probabilistic
-Computationally hard (high dimensionality and large state space)
-dynamic (sequential) and high frequency of decision making
-unknown models
-Big data problems
In this course we solve optimally
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In OR 774 and in real world we strive of near-optimal (good
enough) solutions
Thank You
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