A little about optimization

Optimization is the process of finding the best solution to a problem. For example, finding the shortest route to the destination, scheduling the hospital staff in the most efficient manner possible, or planning the day's activities to best utilize the available time. In order to solve the real-world optimization problems, the problems are formulated as mathematical functions and optimization deals with minimizing/maximizing the output of that function to find the best solution. Once the problem is formulated mathematically, an optimization algorithm such as GA is used to find the best solution (optimal solution) to that problem. The optimization process using GA is depicted in the following diagram.