Mathematics
The Simplex Method for Solving Linear Programming Problems
Quick fact
The simplex method, invented by George Dantzig in 1947, is still one of the most widely used algorithms for optimization, solving problems with thousands of variables and constraints in seconds.
Why this is interesting
Imagine you have a factory that can produce two products, but you have limited hours of labor and machine time. How do you decide how much of each to make to maximize profit? The simplex method is the algorithm that solves this puzzle efficiently.