Journal profile · Mathematics, Applied
Discrete Optimization
ISSN 1572-5286 · eISSN 1873-636X · Elsevier · NETHERLANDS · Quarterly · Founded 2004
Discrete Optimization: CAS Zone 4 · Mathematics (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 0.79; hybrid open access; APC about USD 2,760; review about 466 days (submission to acceptance, publisher); community-reported acceptance: easy; 26 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Discrete Optimization is published by Elsevier and is in Zone 4 of Mathematics in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Advanced Graph Theory Research, Complexity and Algorithms in Graphs and Vehicle Routing Optimization Methods, together about 34.3% of its articles. Its main subfields are Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Discrete Optimization publishes research papers on the mathematical, computational and applied aspects of all areas of integer programming and combinatorial optimization. In addition to reports on mathematical results pertinent to discrete optimization, the journal welcomes submissions on algorithmic developments, and computational experiments. The journal also welcomes clearly-labeled reports on novel real-life applications of discrete optimization that are of broad interest to the scientific community. Papers on applications must provide computational evidence of a successful practical implementation. This is especially important for applications based on heuristics or meta-heuristics. The journal also publishes clearly-labelled surveys, reviews, short notes, and open problems. Manuscripts submitted for possible publication to Discrete Optimization should report on original research or application, should not have been previously published, and should not be under consideration for publication by any other journal.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Mathematics, Applied
Editor-in-chief Nimrod MegiddoPublisher website
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named United States 12, Germany 6, Italy 5, Switzerland 3, United Kingdom 2 (46 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Advanced Graph Theory ResearchComputer Science14.1%
- Complexity and Algorithms in GraphsComputer Science11.7%
- Vehicle Routing Optimization MethodsEngineering8.5%
- Optimization and Search ProblemsComputer Science8.3%
- Optimization and Packing ProblemsEngineering6.8%
- Diverse Scientific and Economic StudiesEconomics, Econometrics and Finance5%
- Human auditory perception and evaluationEngineering4.9%
- Educational Robotics and EngineeringComputer Science4.6%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Mathematics Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Mathematics | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Mathematics, Applied | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Operations Research & Management Science | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Mathematics Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Mathematics | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Operations Research & Management Science | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Mathematics, Applied | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Mathematics Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Mathematics | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Mathematics, Applied | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Operations Research & Management Science | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor
- 0.79LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 0.8Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 3.3LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 3.3Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.5LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.97LetPub ·
- h-index
- 31LetPub ·
- h-index
- 51OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 312OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 0.52OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 0%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 27.54%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 21LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 845 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 27 | 18 | 2 |
| 2025 | 26 | 10 | 7 |
| 2024 | 28 | 16 | 33 |
| 2023 | 31 | 15 | 110 |
| 2022 | 28 | 20 | 89 |
| 2021 | 34 | 34 | 126 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Publisher-reported review time from the journal's website
466 dayssubmission to acceptance · community reports over 12 weeks
The publisher's own definition applies; dates from this journal's articles in the last 24 months are not available yet, so the publisher's figure is used.
Figures by source
- Average review time (community reports)
- over 12 weeksLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- EasyLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 2 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 127 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 466 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 17 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Single anonymous peer reviewPublisher website
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 2,760 / EUR 2,580 / GBP 2,210 / JPY 342,320 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 3,160 | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
Open calls for papers1, by deadline
Publisher websiteArticle types accepted8
- contributionContribution Full length original research article of more than 10 pages.Length not stated
- erratumErratum Concise correction to article of the same author published in the journal.Length not stated
- noteNote A short self-contained original research article of 10 pages or less, focusing on a particular result that does not provide enough material for a full leng…Length not stated
- original articleContribution Full length original research article of more than 10 pages. NoteA short self-contained original research article of 10 pages or less, focusing on …Length not stated
- original paperContribution Full length original research article of more than 10 pages. NoteA short self-contained original research article of 10 pages or less, focusing on …Length not stated
- original research articleContribution Full length original research article of more than 10 pages. NoteA short self-contained original research article of 10 pages or less, focusing on …Length not stated
- perspectivesPerspectives Submission which does not provide a specific new research finding or result, but rather presents a survey of results and research in a particular a…Length not stated
- surveyContribution Full length original research article of more than 10 pages. NoteA short self-contained original research article of 10 pages or less, focusing on …Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Preprints
- AI use Declaration of generative AI use
Authors must declare the use of generative AI tools in the manuscript preparation process upon submission of the paper.Generative AI and AI-assisted technologies (“AI tools”) have been rapidly adopted in research and scholarly publishing, offering significant benefits while requiring clear standards for responsible and transparent use.Authors preparing a manuscript for this journal may use AI tool…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Group authorship
Group authorship refers to the attribution of an article to a defined and named group of authors whose members have contributed to the work. Examples include research consortia, clinical trial groups, collaborative networks, task forces or working groups, expert panels or consensus groups, and participatory research groups. Group authorship must be declared on the title page at submission. When av…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Declaration of competing interests
All authors must disclose any financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that could inappropriately influence or bias their work. Examples of potential competing interests include:EmploymentConsultanciesStock ownershipHonorariaPaid expert testimonyPatent applications or registrationsGrants or any other fundingAffiliation with the journal as an Editor or Advisory Board …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright License options
Authors will be offered open access user license options which will determine how you, and third parties, can reuse your open access article. We advise that you review these options and any funding body license requirements before selecting a license option.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access
Open Archive Model summary
We refer you to our open access information page to learn about open access options for this journal.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer review
Single anonymized review process Model summary
This journal follows a single anonymized review process. Your submission will initially be assessed by our editors. If your submission is deemed suitable, it will typically be sent to be reviewed by a minimum of two reviewers for an independent expert assessment of the scientific quality. The decision as to whether your article is accepted or rejected for publication will be made by our editors.Re…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprints
Preprint sharingAuthors may share preprints in line with Elsevier's article sharing policy. Sharing preprints, such as on a preprint server, will not count as prior publication.We advise you to read our policy on multiple, redundant or concurrent publication. In support of Open Science, this journal offers its authors a free preprint posting service on SSRN, Elsevier’s preprint and early research …
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Elsevier
- Country or region
- NETHERLANDS
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Quarterly
- Founded
- 2004
- ISSN
- 1572-5286
- Electronic ISSN
- 1873-636X
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Discrete Optimization
What CAS zone is Discrete Optimization in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Discrete Optimization is in Zone 4 of Mathematics, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Mathematics, Applied / Operations Research & Management Science. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 3 of Mathematics. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Discrete Optimization?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 0.79; CiteScore 3.3, h-index 51.
How long does peer review take at Discrete Optimization?
The publisher reports about 466 days (submission to acceptance); authors report an average review time of over 12 weeks; the community-reported acceptance is “Easy”. Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
Where are the editorial board members of Discrete Optimization based?
Of the 46 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (12), Germany (6) and Italy (5). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Discrete Optimization?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Discrete Optimization is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is Discrete Optimization open access, and what is the APC?
Discrete Optimization is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 2,760.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, Publisher website, OpenAlex; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-25). Last updated: .