Learn in the textbookData Utilization Processing and Business Applications
DefinitionOptimization (最適化) is the search for the option that brings the value of the objective (目的) to its best while honoring the constraints (制約条件).
ExplanationObjectives include minimizing cost or maximizing profit, while constraints include budget, time, and the amount of materials. In problems that must meet supply and demand at once, such as shipping between several sites, filling the cheapest routes first is not always best, so compare the total for each combination. When the future is hard to read, an approach such as the maximin strategy (マクシミン戦略) decides by comparing the worst outcome of each option.
AnalogyLike planning the most satisfying trip you can on a limited budget and number of days. You cannot visit everywhere, so you compare combinations and choose.
Memory hookEnglish "optimize" comes from the Latin optimus ("best"), which points the same way as the kanji in 最適 ("most suitable").