This introductory text provides undergraduate and graduate students with a concise and practical introduction to the primary concepts and techniques of optimization. Practicing engineers and managers will also find useful its concentration on problems and examples relevant to them. With a strong emphasis on basic concepts and techniques throughout, the book explains the theory behind each technique as simply as possible, along with illustrations and worked examples. It gives a balanced treatment of both the linear and nonlinear programming, plus search techniques, geometric programming, and game theory. Some typical problems varying in difficulty level are solved so readers can appreciate intricacies of the underlying concepts useful for practical problem solving. Suitable for individual or group learning, the book also includes numerous end-of-chapter problems for study and review.