Optimizing diversity for engineering management

The problem of optimizing diversity deals with selecting from a set a predetermined number of elements so that the elements selected exhibit the optimal variety of characteristics. We propose a framework in which the concept of diversity can be measured explicitly. We begin with the development of a series of interrelated zero-one integer program for modeling the minimum diversity problem. An example is given to illustrate the application of the minimum diversity model. Finally, a collection of parallel mathematical formulations are presented for diversity maximization