Spreadsheet Modeling and Decision Analysis,
9th Edition

1. Introduction to Modeling and Decision Analysis.
2. Introduction to Optimization and Linear Programming.
3. Modeling and Solving LP Problems in a Spreadsheet.
4. Sensitivity Analysis and the Simplex Method.
5. Network Modeling.
6. Integer Linear Programming.
7. Goal Programming and Multiple Objective Optimization.
8. Nonlinear Programming & Evolutionary Optimization.
9. Regression Analysis.
10. Data Mining.
11. Time Series Forecasting.
12. Introduction to Simulation.
13. Queuing Theory.
14. Decision Analysis.
15. Project Management (Online).

• Cliff Ragsdale

  A leading innovator in spreadsheet instruction and highly regarded pioneer in business analytics, Dr. Cliff Ragsdale is the Bank of America Professor of Business Information Technology and Academic Director of the Center for Business Intelligence and Analytics in the Pamplin College of Business at Virginia Tech, where he has taught since 1990. Dr. Ragsdale received his Ph.D. in management science and information technology from the University of Georgia. He also holds an M.B.A. in Finance and B.A. in psychology from the University of Central Florida. Before pursuing his Ph.D., he supervised benefit finance and qualified plans at the international headquarters of Red Lobster, Inc. He has served as an information systems and statistical consultant for a variety of companies and as an expert witness in the area of spreadsheet forensics. Dr. Ragsdale's primary areas of research interest include applications of artificial intelligence, mathematical programming and applying statistics to business problems. His research has appeared in numerous publications, including Decision Sciences; Naval Research Logistics; Omega: The International Journal of Management Science; Computers & Operations Research; Operations Research Letters and Personal Financial Planning. He has received both the Pamplin Award for excellence in teaching and the Outstanding Doctoral Educator Award from the Pamplin College of Business Administration at Virginia Tech. Dr. Ragsdale is a fellow of the Decision Sciences Institute (DSI) and active member of DSI and INFORMS.

• NEW FULL-COLOR VISUALS ENGAGE READERS AND GUIDE LEARNING. Vivid use for full color throughout this edition draws students into content and visually identifies various model elements and steps in the numerous screen images that appear throughout the book.

• NEW CHAPTER LEARNING OBJECTIVES PROVIDE A FRAMEWORK FOR MASTERING CONCEPTS. New learning objectives for each chapter form a cognitive roadmap to help support and guide students’ understanding and mastery of the material.

• UPDATES AND NEW CONTENT HIGHLIGHT THE LATEST EXCEL FEATURES AND FUNCTIONS. This edition focuses on the newest features and functions of Excel and incorporates the latest changes into all explanations and practice to keep your class current. Your students learn to maximize the latest tools in this most widely used spreadsheet package in the world.

• NEW WEBASSIGN DIGITAL RESOURCES PROVIDE CUSTOMIZABLE ONLINE TEACHING TOOLS. You can easily help your students master course concepts with this powerful digital platform and decision sciences-specific content. WebAssign provides students with electronic access to the book as well as online homework assignments, author videos and exam questions for each chapter. You can customize assignment settings, add your own content and easily access student and course analytics and communication tools.

• ADDITIONAL AUTHOR-CREATED INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEOS REINFORCE COMPREHENSION. New, helpful instructional videos, prepared by text author and business analytics leader Cliff Ragsdale, accompany each chapter and are easily accessible in WebAssign to assist students in understanding concepts and mastering the software.

• CONTENT HIGHLIGHTS FRONTLINE SYSTEMS’ ANALYTIC SOLVER® AND DATA MINING ADD-INS FOR EXCEL. Students learn to use these leading business analytics tools for optimization, simulation and data mining, including data import and cleansing, data exploration and visualization, feature selection, clustering and affinity analysis. Students also practice techniques for predictive analytics, including discriminant analysis, neural networks, logistic regression, classification and regression trees, k-nearest neighbor, naïve Bayes and times-series analysis. For more information, go to solver.com.

• TEACHING RESOURCES ENHANCE CLASS PRESENTATION AND REDUCE PREPARATION. A thoroughly revised and carefully crafted set of PowerPoint® slides and Excel solution files, prepared by the text author, reduce your preparation time while providing tools to clarify concepts in your course.

• UPDATED CONTENT HIGHLIGHTS THE LATEST EXCEL FOR MICROSOFT OFFICE 365 AND OFFICE 2019. This timely coverage provides students with the most current tools and information for dealing with key business analytics decision-making problems.

• SIDE-BY-SIDE ALGEBRAIC FORMULATIONS AND SPREADSHEETS SUPPORT CONCEPTUAL THINKING SKILLS. Step-by-step instructions and numerous annotated screenshots make examples easy to follow and understand.

• ANALYTIC SOLVER FOR EXCEL PROVIDES HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE WITH STATE-OF-THE-ART BUSINESS ANALYTICS SOFTWARE. Powerful tools in the Analytic Solver for Excel enable students to perform optimization, simulation, data mining, and work with decision trees in spreadsheets.

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