Book excerpt: The NATO Advanced Research Workshop (ARW) "Algorithms and Model Formulations in Mathematical Programming" was held at Chr. Michelsen Institute in Bergen, Norway, from June 15 to June 19, 1987. The ARW was organized on behalf of the Committee on Algorithms (COAL) of the Mathematical Programming Society (MPS). Co-directors were Jan Telgen (Van Dien+Co Organisatie, Utrecht, The Netherlands) and Roger J-B Wets (The University of California at Davis, USA). 43 participants from 11 countries attended the ARW. The workshop was organized such that each day started with a - minute keynote presentation, followed by a 45-minute plenary discussion. The first part of this book contains the contributions of the five keynote speakers. The plenary discussions were taped, and the transcripts given to the keynote speakers. They have treated the transcripts differently, some by working the discussions into their papers, others by adding a section which sums up the discussions. The plenary discussions were very interesting and stimulating due to active participation of the audience. The five keynote speakers were asked to view the topic of the workshop, the interaction between algorithms and model formulations, from different perspectives. On the first day of the workshop Professor Alexander H.G. Rinnooy Kan (Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands) put the theme into a larger context by his talk "Mathematical programming as an intellectual activity". This is an article of importance to any mathematical programmer who is interested in his field's history and present state.