Feature Article—Visualization and Optimization

Research in optimization has developed faster and faster algorithms that have analyzed very complicated problems, thereby saving billions of dollars. Solving problems using optimization techniques involves more than just developing clever algorithms, however. Building, debugging, validating, and understanding models, algorithms, data, and solutions require appropriate representations of the models, the algorithms, the data, and the solutions. This paper explores current practice and ongoing research in different representations or visualizations useful for representing optimization models, understanding optimization algorithms, validating and exploring optimal solutions, and summarizing the results. INFORMS Journal on Computing, ISSN 1091-9856, was published as ORSA Journal on Computing from 1989 to 1995 under ISSN 0899-1499.