In this landmark book, Scott Page redefines the way we understand ourselves in relation to one another. "The Difference" is about how we think in groups - and how our collective wisdom exceeds the sum of its parts. Why can teams of people find better solutions than brilliant individuals working alone? And why are the best group decisions and predictions those that draw upon the very qualities that make each of us unique? The answers lie in diversity - not what we look like outside, but what we look like within, our distinct tools and abilities. "The Difference" reveals that progress and innovation may depend less on lone thinkers with enormous IQs than on diverse people working together and capitalizing on their individuality.Page shows how groups that display a range of perspectives outperform groups of like-minded experts. Diversity yields superior outcomes, and Page proves it using his own cutting-edge research. Moving beyond the politics that cloud standard debates about diversity, he explains why difference beats out homogeneity, whether you're talking about citizens in a democracy or scientists in the laboratory. He examines practical ways to apply diversity's logic to a host of problems, and along the way offers fascinating and surprising examples, from the redesign of the Chicago "El" to the truth about where we store our ketchup. Page changes the way we understand diversity - how to harness its untapped potential, how to understand and avoid its traps, and how we can leverage our differences for the benefit of all.

本书为华章数学译丛中的一本。线性规划是运筹学的一个分支，它是最优化问题领域中最简单、最基本和使用最广泛的方法，广泛应用于工农业、军事、交通运输、决策管理与规划、科学实验等领域。
这本教材是从一门高级的本科生数学课程演变而来的。覆盖了线性规划的基本主题，同时包含许多高级主题。通过不同难易程度的习题，为学生提供逐步提高的机会，并使优秀的学生完成更具挑战性的任务。
本书特点：
强调逻辑和应用建模，使得管理、经济和运筹学等非数学专业的学生能在各自的领域中学习使用线性规划。
应用数学工具，但不依赖严密的数学研究进展，为数学专业的高年级学生提供进一步研究所需的理论。
难易不同的习题为不同程度的学生提供具有挑战性的任务。
附录介绍有关数学规划更深入的材料，为数学专业学生提供高级主题，为面向应用的学生提供已知方法的参考。
论述建模问题的系统方法论，为学生指明如何将建模发展为一种技能，而不是依赖他们的直觉解决问题。
利用计算机软件解决线性规划问题，指导学生利用各种计算机软件包以及在线软件解决线性规划问题。