Journal profile · Mathematics, Applied
Optimization Letters
ISSN 1862-4472 · eISSN 1862-4480 · Springer Berlin Heidelberg · GERMANY · Quarterly · Founded 2007
Optimization Letters: CAS Zone 4 · Mathematics (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 1.21; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,090; median 262 days to acceptance (99 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: fairly easy; 90 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Optimization Letters is published by Springer Berlin Heidelberg 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 Optimization Algorithms Research, Optimization and Variational Analysis and Vehicle Routing Optimization Methods, together about 39.9% of its articles. Its main subfields are Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Optimization Letters is a dynamic international journal encompassing all facets of optimization, including theory, algorithms, computational studies, and applications. This journal serves as a swift and effective platform for the rapid publication of short communications in the field. Given the rapid development and expansion of optimization across disciplines, Optimization Letters plays a crucial role in disseminating information at an astonishing rate. Key Features: Comprehensive Scope: Covers all aspects of optimization, providing a platform for the publication of research in theory, algorithms, computational studies, and practical applications. Rapid Publication: Offers a channel for the rapid publication of short communications, facilitating the swift dissemination of new developments in optimization. Concise Articles: Features concise and succinct articles, limited to approximately 15 journal pages. This format makes the content accessible to readers seeking information on recent advancements within the field. Annual Best Paper Award: Recognizes excellence through an annual Best Paper Award, highlighting contributions that demonstrate originality, significance, quality, and clarity. Optimization Letters serves as a valuable resource for researchers and professionals working in optimization, providing a quick and accessible outlet for staying abreast of the latest developments. The journal's commitment to concise articles aligns with the dynamic nature of optimization, where new algorithmic and theoretical techniques are continually emerging and finding applications across diverse disciplines. Officially cited as: Optim Lett
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Mathematics, Applied
Editor-in-chief Pavlo KrokhmalPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 5 in mainland China (about 7%); most named United States 28, Italy 8, Mainland China 5, United Kingdom 5, Australia 4 (73 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Advanced Optimization Algorithms ResearchMathematics19%
- Optimization and Variational AnalysisComputer Science15.8%
- Vehicle Routing Optimization MethodsEngineering5.2%
- Sparse and Compressive Sensing TechniquesEngineering4.9%
- Optimization and Search ProblemsComputer Science4.3%
- Scheduling and Optimization AlgorithmsEngineering4.1%
- Matrix Theory and AlgorithmsComputer Science3.8%
- Advanced Manufacturing and Logistics OptimizationEngineering3.8%
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 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Mathematics | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Operations Research & Management Science | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Mathematics, Applied | Zone 4 |
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
Indexing the journal's website claims
EI CompendexINSPECzbMATHDBLPCurrent ContentsPublisher website
Other: Google Scholar, EBSCO, ProQuest, Dimensions, CNKI, Baidu, Naver, OCLC, Portico, CLOCKSS
As the journal's website lists them, not checked against each database; for Web of Science editions the records above apply.
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
- 1.21LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 1.3Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 1.6Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 3.1LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.59LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.97LetPub ·
- h-index
- 31LetPub ·
- h-index
- 65OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 880OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 1.09OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 7.7%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 25.83%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 88LetPub ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 209,400Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 2,316 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 68 | 35 | 5 |
| 2025 | 90 | 34 | 60 |
| 2024 | 95 | 32 | 210 |
| 2023 | 122 | 36 | 540 |
| 2022 | 128 | 43 | 643 |
| 2021 | 160 | 65 | 1,243 |
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
Review time from article dates manuscript dates registered with Crossref · to
262 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 197 days – 402 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 26 days (99 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 285 days
- Sample
- 99 articles with submission and acceptance dates (188 in the window); the latest was accepted on
Only articles that were accepted and published are counted, not the time spent on rejected manuscripts, so this usually runs longer than a publisher's "time to first decision".
Other sources
- Average review time (community reports)
- about 13.5 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- Fairly easyLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 18 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Double 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 3,090 / EUR 2,490 / GBP 2,190 | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
Other charges and waivers (author guidelines)
- Page charges
- Charged; see the journal's website for the amount
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)
What to prepare4 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- 150–250 words
- Keywords
- ≥ 4
- Reference style
- Numbered, in order of citation
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, Plagiarism
- AI use Generative AI Images
LLMs do not satisfy authorship criteria; use of LLMs must be documented in the manuscript. Model summary
Please check Springer’s policy on generative AI images and make sure your work adheres to the principles described therein. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Authorship principles
These guidelines describe authorship principles and good authorship practices to which prospective authors should adhere to. Authorship clarified The Journal and Publisher assume all authors agreed with the content and that all gave explicit consent to submit and that they obtained consent from the responsible authorities at the institute/organization where the work has been carried out, before th…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Disclosures and declarations
Authors must disclose financial or non-financial competing interests. Model summary
All authors are requested to include information regarding sources of funding, financial or non-financial interests, study-specific approval by the appropriate ethics committee for research involving humans and/or animals, informed consent if the research involved human participants, and a statement on welfare of animals if the research involved animals (as appropriate). The decision whether such …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability Data availability statements
All original research must include a data availability statement explaining how to access supporting data. Model summary
All original research must include a data availability statement. This statement should explain how to access data supporting the results and analysis in the article, including links/citations to publicly archived datasets analysed or generated during the study. Please see our full policy here. If it is not possible to share research data publicly, for instance when individual privacy could be com…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics Compliance with Ethical Standards
To ensure objectivity and transparency in research and to ensure that accepted principles of ethical and professional conduct have been followed, authors should include information regarding sources of funding, potential conflicts of interest (financial or non-financial), informed consent if the research involved human participants, and a statement on welfare of animals if the research involved an…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Copyright
Open Choice articles do not require transfer of copyright as the copyright remains with the author. In opting for open access, the author(s) agree to publish the article under a Creative Commons license. Details of the OA licences offered to authors can be found on the individual journal website, in the journal's How to publish with us guide. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access publishing
To find out more about publishing your work Open Access in Optimization Letters, including information on fees, funding and licences, visit our Open access publishing page. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Plagiarism
The journal may use software to screen for plagiarism. Model summary
the journal may use software to screen for plagiarism
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
- Springer Berlin Heidelberg
- Country or region
- GERMANY
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Quarterly
- Founded
- 2007
- ISSN
- 1862-4472
- Electronic ISSN
- 1862-4480
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 20, Issue 7 (September 2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗LetPub
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Optimization Letters
What CAS zone is Optimization Letters in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Optimization Letters 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 4 of Mathematics. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Optimization Letters?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 1.21; CiteScore 3.1, h-index 65.
How long does peer review take at Optimization Letters?
Based on the dates recorded on 99 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 262 days (interquartile range 197–402 days); authors report an average review time of about 13.5 months; the community-reported acceptance is “Fairly 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.
What are the manuscript requirements of Optimization Letters?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: 150–250 words; Keywords: ≥ 4; Reference style: Numbered, in order of citation; Suggested reviewers: Optional. A model extracted these from the author guidelines and each was checked against the text; check the latest version on the journal's website before submitting.
Where are the editorial board members of Optimization Letters based?
Of the 73 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 5 (about 7%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (28), Italy (8) and Mainland China (5). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Optimization Letters?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Optimization Letters is indexed in SCIE and Scopus. The journal's website also lists EI Compendex, INSPEC, zbMATH, DBLP and Current Contents; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Optimization Letters open access, and what is the APC?
Optimization Letters is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,090.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, OpenAlex, Publisher website; 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: .