Management science applications frequently involve problems of controlling continuous time dynamic systems, that is, systems which evolve over time. Optimal control theory, a relatively new branch of mathematics, determines the optimal way to control such a dynamic system. The purpose of this...

We consider a production-inventory planning problem with time-varying demands, convex production costs and a warehouse capacity constraint. It is solved by use of the Lagrangian form of the maximum principle. The possible existence of strong decision and forecast horizons is demonstrated. When...

What is Optimal Control Theory? -- The Maximum Principle: Continuous Time -- The Maximum Principle: Mixed Inequality Constraints -- The Maximum Principle: General Inequality Constraints -- Applications to Finance -- Applications to Production and Inventory -- Applications to Marketing -- The...