Dantzig’s work would provide the basis for his doctoral dissertation and, decades later, inspiration for the film Good Will Hunting. Nearly 80 years later, the simplex method is still among the most widely used tools when a logistical or supply-chain decision needs to be made under complex constraints. For the simplex method, “our traditional tools for studying algorithms don’t work,” Huiberts said. Optimal GeometryThe simplex method was designed to address a class of problems like this: Suppose a furniture company makes armoires, beds, and chairs. The simplex method turns situations like this—though often involving many more variables—into a geometry problem.