Combinatorial optimization is a field of study within mathematics and computer science that focuses on finding the best solution from a finite set of possible solutions to a problem. This field deals with problems that involve selecting the best combination of elements from a given set, subject to certain constraints, in order to optimize a particular objective function. Combinatorial optimization problems can be found in a wide range of applications, including scheduling, routing, network design, resource allocation, and supply chain management. Researchers in combinatorial optimization develop algorithms and techniques to efficiently solve these complex problems and find optimal or near-optimal solutions.