at the beginning of the new millennium, optimization is undergoing a major transformation in scope and dimension. it is evolving in response to challenges and opportunities from industry. from a largely dominant focus on specific problems, optimization is rapidly expanding to provide all the ingredients for a surge of a much broader development of technological, business and financial innovations. the chapters in the book give information about the latest advances of optimization in telecommunications, supply chain management, auto manufacturing, aerospace engineering, power industry, air traffic management, complexity and others. the book provides a unique opportunity for researchers in optimization and leaders of industry to understand the significance of the changes by presenting the fields accomplishments, new developments and future directions. audience: the book is written at a level suitable for advanced undergraduate students, graduate students as well as research workers and practitioners in computer science, information technology, mathematics, management science and business. the book is quite suitable as a reference or as supplementary reading material for an advanced graduate course.