Introduction to Optimum Design

2025 Textbook and Academic Authors Association (TAA) McGuffey Longevity Award WinnerIntroduction to Optimum Design, Fifth Edition is the most widely used textbook in engineering optimization and optimum design courses. It is intended for use in a first course on engineering design and optimization at the undergraduate or graduate level within engineering departments of all disciplines, but primarily within mechanical, aerospace and civil engineering. The basic approach of the text presents an organized approach to engineering design optimization in a rigorous yet simplified manner, illustrating various concepts and procedures with simple examples and demonstrating their applicability to engineering design problems. Formulation of a design problem as an optimization problem is emphasized and illustrated throughout the text. Excel and MATLAB are featured as learning and teaching aids. This new edition has been enhanced with new or expanded content in such areas as reliability-based optimization, metamodeling, design of experiments, robust design, nature-inspired metaheuristic search methods, and combinatorial optimizaton.- Describes basic concepts of optimality conditions and numerical methods with simple and practical examples, making the material highly teachable and learnable- Includes applications of optimization methods for structural, mechanical, aerospace, and industrial engineering problems- Covers practical design examples and introduces students to the use of optimization methods- Serves the needs of instructors who teach more advanced courses- Features new or expanded contents in such areas as design under uncertainty - reliability-based design optimization, metamodeling - response surface method, design of experiments, nature-inspired metaheuristic search methods, and robust design

Dr. Arora is the F. Wendell Miller Distinguished Professor, Emeritus, of Civil, Environmental and Mechanical Engineering at the University of Iowa. He was also Director of the Optimal Design Laboratory and Associate Director of the Center for Computer Aided Design. He is an internationally recognized expert in the fields of optimization, numerical analysis, and real-time implementation. His research interests include optimization-based digital human modeling, dynamic response optimization, optimal control of systems, design sensitivity analysis and optimization of nonlinear systems, and parallel optimization algorithms. Dr. Arora has authored two books, co-authored or edited five others, written 160 journal articles, 27 book chapters, 130 conference papers, and more than 300 technical reports.

THE BASIC CONCEPTS 1. Introduction to Design Optimization2. Optimum Design Problem Formulation3. Graphical Solution Method and Basic Optimization Concepts 4. Optimum Design Concepts: Optimality Conditions5. More on Optimum Design Concepts: Optimality ConditionsNUMERICAL METHODS FOR CONTINUOUS VARIABLE OPTIMIZATION6. Optimum Design: Numerical Solution Process and Excel Solver 7. Optimum Design with MATLAB® 8. Linear Programming Methods for Optimum Design9. More on Linear Programming Methods for Optimum Design10. Numerical Methods for Unconstrained Optimum Design11. More on Numerical Methods for Unconstrained Optimum Design12. Numerical Methods for Constrained Optimum Design13. More on Numerical Methods for Constrained Optimum Design14. Practical Applications of OptimizationADVANCED AND MODERN TOPICS ON OPTIMUM DESIGN15. Discrete Variable Optimum Design Concepts and Methods16. Global Optimization: Concepts and Methods 17. Nature-inspired Metaheuristic Search Methods 18. Multi-Objective Optimum Design Concepts and Methods19. Introduction to Design Under Uncertainty: Reliability-Based Design Optimization20. Metamodels for Design Optimization: Response Surface Method21. Robust Design and Optimization - An Introduction22. Design of Experiments - An IntroductionAppendix A. Vector and Matrix AlgebraAppendix B. Sample Computer Programs