Program Overview

DECISION ANALYSIS FOR THE AGRI-FOOD SECTOR

COURSE DETAILS

• Academic Year: 2025/2026
• Credits: 3 cfu
• Scientific Disciplinary Sector: MAT/09
• Teaching Location: Imperia
• Semester: 1ｰ Semester

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The main objective of the course is to provide students with the basic concepts and tools of Operations Research to analyze and solve some decision-making problems of companies and operators in the agri-food sector. The proposed tools will be used and implemented on a spreadsheet (Excel).

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course aims to equip students with the skills to analyze and solve problems, evaluate adopted solutions, and propose improvements. At the end of the course, the student will:

• Know the typical terminology of Operations Research
• Have the ability to critically analyze a problem
• Be able to formulate a decision problem and implement a mathematical model of linear (integer-binary) programming
• Be able to use the spreadsheet and the solver to solve problems
• Be able to critically analyze the solutions obtained, evaluating their correctness, feasibility, and robustness

TEACHING METHODS

Lectures will alternate with sessions using PCs for the development of group work on assigned problems/case studies.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

• Introduction to Operations Research, decision problems, and optimization models
• Linear Programming (LP) problems; graphical method for solving LP problems. Sensitivity analysis
• Integer Programming (IP) and Binary Integer Programming (0/1 IP) problems
• Graphs: basic definitions
• Use of Excel for the formulation and solution of optimization problems
• Applications:
  • Diet and blending problem
  • Transportation/distribution problem
  • Location problem
  • Inventory management

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

• Adopted Textbook: F.S. Hillier, G.J. Lieberman, "Introduction to Operations Research," 9th Edition, McGraw-Hill, Milan, 2010
• Materials made available during the course

LESSONS

LESSONS START

Second semester

CLASS SCHEDULE

The timetable for this course is available.

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

For the Decision Analysis for the Agri-food Sector module, the exam consists of a written test with open-ended and multiple-choice questions, and exercises for the use of tools analyzed during the lessons.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

For the Decision Analysis for the Agri-food Sector module, multiple-choice questions will evaluate the degree of knowledge, and open-ended questions and exercises will assess the understanding of the topics covered in class and the ability to apply the tools. The correctness in the use of specialized vocabulary and the reasoning ability will be evaluated.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Additional Information for Students with Specific Learning Disorders (SLD): At the beginning of the lessons, contact the teacher to agree on the compensatory and dispensatory tools that will be used.