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"L๐ข๐ง๐ž๐š๐ซ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ ๐ซ๐š๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐ " ๐ข๐ฌ ๐š ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ฎ๐ง๐Ÿ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ง๐š๐ญ๐ž ๐ฉ๐ก๐ซ๐š๐ฌ๐ž: do you agree?

  • 1.  "L๐ข๐ง๐ž๐š๐ซ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ ๐ซ๐š๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐ " ๐ข๐ฌ ๐š ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ฎ๐ง๐Ÿ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ง๐š๐ญ๐ž ๐ฉ๐ก๐ซ๐š๐ฌ๐ž: do you agree?

    Posted 07-10-2026 08:54 AM

    Friday fun post! Back in 1953, Philip M. Morse expressed his dissatisfaction with a term for a new OR technique:

    "It seems to me that the term '๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ž๐š๐ซ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ ๐ซ๐š๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐ ' ๐ข๐ฌ ๐š ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ฎ๐ง๐Ÿ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ง๐š๐ญ๐ž ๐ฉ๐ก๐ซ๐š๐ฌ๐ž for this promising technique" 

    I'm a huge fan of linear programming although I'm less enthusiastic of the term because it's a barrier for making optimization accessible. It's interesting that the term "linear programming" has been disliked since it was introduced.

    If you were in charge, what would you call linear programming?

    Read more on Punk Rock OR: linear programming is a most unfortunate phrase

    Laura Albert's Punk Rock Operations Research remove preview
    linear programming is a most unfortunate phrase
    "[I]t seems to me that the term `linear programming' is a most unfortunate phrase for this promising technique, particularly since many possible extensions appear to be in nonlinear directions. A more general yet more descriptive term, such as `bounded optimization,' might have been a happier choice.Philip M. Morse (1953).
    View this on Laura Albert's Punk Rock Operations Research >

     



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    Laura Albert
    Industrial and Systems Engineering
    University of Wisconsin-Madison
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  • 2.  RE: "L๐ข๐ง๐ž๐š๐ซ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ ๐ซ๐š๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐ " ๐ข๐ฌ ๐š ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ฎ๐ง๐Ÿ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ง๐š๐ญ๐ž ๐ฉ๐ก๐ซ๐š๐ฌ๐ž: do you agree?

    Posted 07-10-2026 11:14 AM

    Indeed, the term 'programming' is usually associated with computer coding. 

    Instead, I've used the term 'linear optimization' in my books and papers. I believe it better reflects the essence of the technique.



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    [Alexander] [Kolker]
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  • 3.  RE: "L๐ข๐ง๐ž๐š๐ซ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ ๐ซ๐š๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐ " ๐ข๐ฌ ๐š ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ฎ๐ง๐Ÿ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ง๐š๐ญ๐ž ๐ฉ๐ก๐ซ๐š๐ฌ๐ž: do you agree?

    Posted 07-11-2026 10:07 AM

    although i agree that linear optimization is a better description. programming refers the result of the optimization -- a program. 

    One of Dantzig's favorite jokes  was: "Lean-Year Programming" that stems from the biblical story in Genesis where Joseph effectively created a strategy to manage supply during the "lean" years.



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    Richard O'Neill

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    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: "L๐ข๐ง๐ž๐š๐ซ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ ๐ซ๐š๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐ " ๐ข๐ฌ ๐š ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ฎ๐ง๐Ÿ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ง๐š๐ญ๐ž ๐ฉ๐ก๐ซ๐š๐ฌ๐ž: do you agree?

    Posted 07-11-2026 11:14 AM

    Not that long ago I would have gone with "vertex hopping" or maybe "edge sliding", but interior point methods spoiled that. Is "polytope wanderlust" too geeky?



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    Paul Rubin
    Professor Emeritus
    Michigan State University
    East Lansing MI
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  • 5.  RE: "L๐ข๐ง๐ž๐š๐ซ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ ๐ซ๐š๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐ " ๐ข๐ฌ ๐š ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ฎ๐ง๐Ÿ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ง๐š๐ญ๐ž ๐ฉ๐ก๐ซ๐š๐ฌ๐ž: do you agree?

    Posted 07-13-2026 01:14 PM

    Following up on this thread, I've collected a few source materials for "linear" + "programming":

    • Marshall K. Wood and George B. Dantzig, Programming of Interdependent Activities I: General Discussion, Econometrica 17:3/4 (1949) 193-199.

    The use of "programming" in the sense of planning goes back at least this far: "Programming, or program planning, may be defined as the construction of a schedule of actions by means of which an economy, organization, or other complex of activities, may move from one defined state to another or from a defined state toward some specifically defined objective."

    • George B. Dantzig, Programming of Interdependent Activities II: Mathematical Model, ibid. 200-211.

    The terms "linear program" and "linear programming" are used, with their familiar meanings, in this second part of the paper.

    • Philip M. Morse, Trends in Operations Research, Journal of the Operations Research Society of America 1:4 (1953) 159-165.

    This is the source for Laura Albert's quotation that started the conversation: "Incidentally, it seems to me that the term 'linear programming' is a most unfortunate phrase for this promising technique, particularly since many possible extensions appear to be in nonlinear directions. A more general yet more descriptive term, such as 'bounded optimization,' might have been a happier choice." It seems that Morse is most concerned with "linear" being too restrictive; but as computers had already appeared by 1953, perhaps he also foresees that "programming" would come to have a different meaning. (The largest professional society in the field was formed as the Mathematical Programming Society in 1973, but changed its name to the Mathematical Optimization Society in 2010.)

    • George B. Dantzig, Linear Programming. Operations Research 50:1 (2002) 42-47.

    Writing much later, George Dantzig credits Tjalling Koopmans for suggesting "linear programming" during a 1948 visit to the Rand Corporation -- inspiring Dantzig to use that as the title of a talk he gave later the same day.



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    Bob Fourer
    AMPL Optimization Inc. / Northwestern University
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    Original Message


  • 6.  RE: "L๐ข๐ง๐ž๐š๐ซ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ ๐ซ๐š๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐ " ๐ข๐ฌ ๐š ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ฎ๐ง๐Ÿ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ง๐š๐ญ๐ž ๐ฉ๐ก๐ซ๐š๐ฌ๐ž: do you agree?

    Posted 07-14-2026 06:38 PM
    My vote goes to "Linear Optimization."
     
    I think the biggest problem with "linear programming" is that you have to explain the name before you can explain the method.


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    R. Daniel Gimenez
    Applied Data Science
    Uruguay | Chile
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