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For each combinatorial optimization problem, there is a corresponding decision problem that asks whether there is a feasible solution for some particular measure m 0. For example, if there is a graph G which contains vertices u and v, an optimization problem might be "find a path from u to v that uses the fewest edges". This problem might have ...
The problem for graphs is NP-complete if the edge lengths are assumed integers. The problem for points on the plane is NP-complete with the discretized Euclidean metric and rectilinear metric. The problem is known to be NP-hard with the (non-discretized) Euclidean metric. [3]: ND22, ND23
Such a formulation is called an optimization problem or a mathematical programming problem (a term not directly related to computer programming, but still in use for example in linear programming – see History below). Many real-world and theoretical problems may be modeled in this general framework.
A minimum spanning tree of a weighted planar graph.Finding a minimum spanning tree is a common problem involving combinatorial optimization. Combinatorial optimization is a subfield of mathematical optimization that consists of finding an optimal object from a finite set of objects, [1] where the set of feasible solutions is discrete or can be reduced to a discrete set.
The knapsack problem is the following problem in combinatorial optimization: Given a set of items, each with a weight and a value, determine which items to include in the collection so that the total weight is less than or equal to a given limit and the total value is as large as possible.
Solution of a travelling salesman problem: the black line shows the shortest possible loop that connects every red dot. In the theory of computational complexity, the travelling salesman problem (TSP) asks the following question: "Given a list of cities and the distances between each pair of cities, what is the shortest possible route that visits each city exactly once and returns to the ...
However, some problems have distinct optimal solutions; for example, the problem of finding a feasible solution to a system of linear inequalities is a linear programming problem in which the objective function is the zero function (i.e., the constant function taking the value zero everywhere).
Most problems can be formulated in terms of a search space and target in several different ways. For example, for the traveling salesman problem a solution can be a route visiting all cities and the goal is to find the shortest route. But a solution can also be a path, and being a cycle is part of the target.