This paper points out that the optimization of rebar cutting is a complex discrete combinatorial optimization problem, summarizes the Genetic Algorithm, simulates Annealing and Heuristic Algorithm that in broad usage as a method for combinatorial optimization, and discusses the characteristics of each method.Finally, we know that an individual algorithm find the optimal solution randomly and waste a lot of time, according to the literature in recent years.The method to solve the problem is to combine different algorithm in special condition, and this kind of algorithm is more efficient.