# AMPL Optimization

> AMPL Optimization builds the algebraic modeling language of the same name - a tool that lets engineers and analysts describe huge, messy real-world decision problems in clean mathematical notation and then hand them to any of dozens of solvers. Born at Bell Labs in the 1980s and now an independent California company, AMPL is used by more than 100 corporations across 40-plus industries to run optimization in production, from power grids and supply chains to portfolios and airline schedules.

- **Founded:** 2013
- **Headquarters:** Mountain View, California, United States
- **Founders:** Robert Fourer (Co-Founder & Director), David M. Gay (Co-Founder & Director), Brian W. Kernighan (Co-Founder & Director)
- **Team size:** ~21 employees
- **Products:** AMPL Modeling Language, amplpy (Python API), Language APIs, Solver integrations, AMPL on the cloud & tooling
- **Notable:** Founders received the 2012 INFORMS Impact Prize for AMPL as one of the most significant algebraic modeling languages., Received the 1993 ORSA/CSTS Prize., Foundational textbook 'AMPL: A Modeling Language for Mathematical Programming' by Fourer, Gay and Kernighan.

## Products & services

- **AMPL Modeling Language** — An algebraic modeling language for describing large-scale linear, nonlinear, and mixed-integer optimization problems in natural mathematical notation.
- **amplpy (Python API)** — A Python interface to AMPL for building models, manipulating data, and integrating solvers directly inside Python workflows and notebooks.
- **Language APIs** — Interfaces for R, C++, C#, Java, and MATLAB that embed AMPL models into existing software and data pipelines.
- **Solver integrations** — Solver-agnostic access to dozens of engines including Gurobi, CPLEX, Xpress, BARON, COPT, KNITRO, CONOPT, MINOS, SNOPT and open-source solvers.
- **AMPL on the cloud & tooling** — Cloud deployment, a VS Code extension, Google Colab integration, and the amplbot AI assistant for model development and deployment.

## Achievements

- Founders received the 2012 INFORMS Impact Prize for AMPL as one of the most significant algebraic modeling languages.
- Received the 1993 ORSA/CSTS Prize.
- Foundational textbook 'AMPL: A Modeling Language for Mathematical Programming' by Fourer, Gay and Kernighan.
- Powers production optimization for 100+ corporations across 40+ industries.
- Underpins Hitachi's GridView for grid operators solving models with millions of variables.

## Latest updates

- **2025-01** — Released GPU-accelerated solvers, a VS Code extension, and the amplbot AI assistant.
- **2022-01** — Added Google Colab integration and AI-assisted model generation via ChatGPT.
- **2017-01** — Launched the Python API (amplpy), opening AMPL to the modern data-science stack.

## Links

- Website: https://ampl.com
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/amploptimization
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/AMPLopt
- GitHub: https://github.com/ampl
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@amploptimization
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/AMPLopt

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Last updated: 2026-07-07