Goal Programming: Methodology and Applications

The mathematical programming approach called goal programming, or GP, has been in existence for over three decades. GP has been used to optimize decision-making from Christmas trees to allocating the resources of a whole nation's agricultural industry. This book reviews the body of knowledge on GP methodology and its applications. The approach used starts first by seeking to differentiate GP from other multiple criteria decision making methodologies. This is followed by a description of GP model formulation strategies to clearly define the methodological limitations and application boundaries of this powerful decision aid. A literature-based review of GP methodology is then presented to demonstrate the diverse potential in applying GP. The text material ends with a section speculating on future directions for the GP methodology and application. To conclude the book, a comprehensive bibliography of all journal research publications is presented.