This week, we’ll start learning about Linear Optimization. To find the best allocation of resources, we use an algorithm called the Simplex Method. But there are lots of other algorithms out there, some that we come across when we do a Google search or shop for items online.
Read the New York Times article titled “‘May I Predict Your Order?'” [Yaffe-Bellany, David. New York Times, 28 Oct. 2019]
You can access the article through the UMass Lowell Library: https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A603984900/SPN.SP24?u=mlin_n_umass&sid=SPN.SP24&xid=94d35e82
Discussion Questions
What kinds of data can McDonald’s collect with its new systems? How does it obtain these data?