Abstract
In this opinion paper, I argue that “optimization and sustainable development” indicates a set of specific engineering techniques rather than a unified discipline stemming from a unique scientific principle. On the other hand, I also propose a mathematical principle underlying at least some of the concepts defining sustainability when optimizing a supply chain. The principle is based on the fact that since demand constraints are usually expressed as inequalities, those which are not active at the optimal solution imply the existence of some wasted activity, which may lead to an unsustainable solution. I propose using flow-type equation constraints instead, which help detect unsustainability through infeasibility.
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Acknowledgments
I am extremely grateful to Microsoft France and Microsoft Research for the “Optimization and Sustainable Development” Chair endowment, which helped sponsor more than four years of research in optimization and sustainable development topics at LIX, École Polytechnique. Specifically, I would like to acknowledge the scientific contributions of Philippe Baptiste, Claudia D’Ambrosio, Youssef Hamadi, Vincent Jost, Dominik Kirchler, Fabio Roda, David Savourey and Roberto Wolfler Calvo, as well as the invaluable help of Sylvie Tonda-Goldstein, Valérie Masson-Patrimonio, Evelyne Rayssac and Pierre-Louis Xech. I am also extremely grateful to a referee for very precious suggestions about this paper.
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Liberti, L. Optimization and sustainable development. Comput Manag Sci 12, 371–395 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10287-014-0219-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10287-014-0219-5