The branch and bound method searches a tree model of the solution space for discrete optimization problems. It uses bounding functions to prune subtrees that cannot contain optimal solutions, avoiding evaluating all possible solutions. The method generates the tree in a depth-first manner, and selects the next node to expand (the E-node) based on cost estimates. Common strategies are FIFO, LIFO, and least cost search. The traveling salesman problem can be solved using branch and bound by formulating the solution space as a tree and applying row and column reduction techniques to the cost matrix at each node to identify prunable branches.