George Dantzig

Dantzig's simplex method made it practical to solve large optimization problems, and it still sits inside the network design, routing, and inventory allocation tools logistics teams rely on. Linear programming finds the best solution to a problem with many variables and constraints, such as how much product to ship from each warehouse to each region at the lowest cost. Modern solvers build on his algorithm. When a brand models where to place inventory across fulfillment centers or a transportation management system chooses loads and modes, it is usually running optimization descended from his work.

• Distributed InventoryStock split across several warehouses
• Transportation Management SystemTMSSoftware for booking and tracking freight

• Leonid Kantorovich1912–1986 · Pioneer of linear programming
• Tjalling Koopmans1910–1985 · Economist of transportation optimization
• Frank L. Hitchcock1875–1957 · Formulator of the transportation problem

1. George Bernard Dantzig (MacTutor History of Mathematics, University of St Andrews) mathshistory.st-andrews.ac.uk
2. George Dantzig oral history (INFORMS) informs.org