Opening Address

During the past decade, algorithmic research has focused on the design and development of efficient digital computer optimization software. From this research, an important interface between mathe­matics and computer science, called computer implementation technology, has evolved. While the origins of this technology date back to 1952 and the implementation of the stepping-stone method on the National Bureau of Standards’ Eastern Automatic Computer (Hoffman [4]), it has only been recently recognized as a major discipline in its own right.