Richard W. Cottle is Professor of Management Science and Engineering at Stanford University.
This collection of papers not only represents a sample of the extraordinary contributions of George Dantzig but also chronicles the fundamental concepts of mathematical programming and operations research. Virtually all of today's work in optimization finds its origin in one or more of these papers. Beyond their historical importance for developing new tools and insights, these articles also demonstrate the elegance and clarity of Dantzig's style of exposition. Students and researchers in all mathematical science fields can learn from his example. --John R. Birge, Dean, Robert R. McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science, Northwestern University