Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Analysis Of The “Travelling Salesman Problem” And An Application Of Heuristic Techniques For Finding A New Solution, Mateusz Pacha-Sucharzewski

Undergraduate Review

In 1832, a German travelling salesman published a handbook describing his profession. Sadly, his name is unknown; he only stated that the book was written by “one old travelling salesman.” However, he has come down in history thanks to a rather simple and quite obvious observation. He pointed out that when one goes on a business trip, one should plan it carefully; by doing so, one can “win” a great deal of time and increase the trip’s “economy.” Two centuries later, mathematicians and scientists are still struggling with what is now known as the “Travelling Salesman Problem” (TSP).