Spatial optimization is concerned with maximizing or minimizing an objective related to a problem of a geographic nature, such as route selection, location-allocation modeling, spatial sampling, and land use allocation, among others. Location-allocation analysis is used to determine optimal locations for one or more facilities with respect to the spatial distribution of demand; applications can range from locating a hazardous waste site or siting a landfill as far as possible from existing population, determining optimal bus stop locations to minimize the walking distance from home, and finding a location for a new cell tower to maximize population coverage to determining a biological reserve for habitat recovery or the optimal location for a recreational site in a neighborhood.

Solving a geographic problem translates into the formulation of ...