Maximum Flow

In CACM:  Maximum flow algorithms in a network under under constraint are a classical application of mathematical programming.  It has many applications.  This article covers advances in the methods.   Can also be used strategically for supply chain applications.  For years I made a career out of these. Article starts straightforward, but ends very technical.  They sound like one of those word problems:

" .... we give a simple example of each problem: For the maximum flow example, suppose we have a graph that represents an oil pipeline network from an oil well to an oil depot. Each arc has a capacity, or maximum number of liters per second that can flow through the corresponding pipe. The goal is to find the maximum number of liters per second (maximum flow) that can be shipped from well to depot. For the minimum cut problem, we want to find the set of pipes of the smallest total capacity such that removing the pipes disconnects the oil well from the oil depot (minimum cut). ... "