Solution of selected recreational mathematics problems using optimization models

This thesis focuses on solving three selected recreational mathematics problems using optimization models. The thesis presents the problems of Sudoku, NineFind, and Kakuro puzzle. Their solutions are formulated through a mathematical model of integer linear programming. The theoretical part of the thesis offers an introduction to the issues of integer programming. The functionality of the mathematical models is tested through computational experiments in the Xpress IVE environment using FICO Xpress software. For each of the three problems, described code is available for solving one example problem. Solutions were found for all the problems, and the experiments demonstrated that this is an effective method for solving these problems. The code can be implemented for any standard Sudoku and NineFind problem. The code for solving Kakuro puzzles can be particularly used for solving smaller-sized problems, given the more complex task of inputting the problem into the code.