Report on the activities of the working group on discrete mathematics

In the past decade there have been significant developments in computer technology and solution techniques for analysing business and industrial decision problems. In recent years good modelling systems have become available to ease the burden of model communication. Currently the single most important barrier to increased use of structured approaches to decision modelling is the acquisition of the necessary skills to initially develop models of complex decision systems. This paper examines the modelling process with reference to linear programming. Two related production planning problems are presented and their associated models developed. The relationship between the two problems is such that student modellers are forced to become involved in the important details of the problems and, by examining the nature of solution spaces in constrained optimisation, students are able to rapidly gain confidence and skills in modelling.