A constraint is a limitation of possibilities.

Mathematics

In mathematics, a constraint is a restriction of the feasible solutions in an optimization problem. Euclid, detail from The School of Athens by Raphael. ... In mathematics, the term optimization refers to the study of problems that have the form Given: a function f : A R from some set A to the real numbers Sought: an element x0 in A such that f(x0) ≤ f(x) for all x in A (minimization) or such that...

Theory of constraints

In the theory of constraints, it is any factor that limits the performance of a system with respect to its goal. In a for-profit business, this would be the factors that limit the ability to make money. Theory of constraints (TOC) is a body of knowledge on the effective management of (mainly business) organizations, as systems. ... Look up system in Wiktionary, the free dictionary For the Macintosh operating system, which was called System up to version 7. ... Template:Wiktionarypar objective Objective may be: Objective lens, an optical element in a camera or microscope. ...

To take a simple example: a chain has 5 links, each link capable of holding a maximum weight of 5, 7, 4, 8 and 6 tonnes respectively. The maximum weight the chain can hold is clearly 4 tonnes – the limit imposed by the weakest link. In this case, all 5 links have limits to their strength, but the 3rd link is the constraint because it is the greatest restriction on the system.

Eliyahu M. Goldratt maintains that any business system has Eliyahu M. Goldratt (1948 - ) is an Israel-born physicist turned business consultant, the originator of the theory of constraints (abbreviation: TOC). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

• at least one constraint, otherwise its performance would be infinite
• very few constraints, otherwise it would be unstable and cease to exist

Constraints are physical or systemic limits on capacity (such as equipment, people, new product development, "the market"). In the past, TOC experts talked about "policy constraints," but these are no longer considered to be true constraints. Policies and behaviors are barriers to be overcome when implementing changes, they are not constraints.

The concept of constraint is the basis for Goldratt's process of focused improvement. Focused improvement in theory of constraints is the ensemble of activities aimed at elevating the performance of any system, especially a business system, with respect to its goal by eliminating its constraints one by one and by not working on non-constraints. ...

See also:

• Donella Meadows' twelve leverage points to intervene in a system

The twelve leverage points to intervene in a system were proposed by Donella Meadows. ...

Literature

For constraints in literature, see constrained writing. Literature is literally acquaintance with letters as in the first sense given in the Oxford English Dictionary (from the Latin littera meaning an individual written character (letter)). The term has generally come to identify a collection of texts, which in Western culture are mainly prose, both fiction and non-fiction... Constrained writing is a literary technique in which the writer is bound by some condition that forbids certain things or imposes a pattern. ...

See also:

• Oulipo

Oulipo stands for Ouvroir de littérature potentielle, which translates roughly as workshop of potential literature. It is a loose gathering of French-speaking writers and mathematicians, and seeks to create works using constrained writing techniques. ...

Theatre

For constraints in theatre, see Theatrical constraints. This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Theatrical constraints are various rules, either of taste or of law, that govern the production, staging, and content of stage plays in the theater. ...

See also:

• Outrapo

Linguistics

For constraints in linguistics and/or phonology, see Optimality theory. Linguistics is the scientific study of human language, and someone who engages in this study is called a linguist or linguistician. ... Phonology (Greek phonē = voice/sound and logos = word/speech), is a subfield of linguistics which studies the sound system of a specific language (or languages). ... Optimality theory or OT is a linguistic model proposed by the linguists Alan Prince and Paul Smolensky in 1993, and expanded by John J. McCarthy and Alan Prince in 1993. ...

See also

• restraint