1. A method for a computing device determining placement of a plurality of sensors in a specified area wherein the placement of the plurality of sensors provides coverage, the method comprising: generating by the computing device a network representation of the specified area, wherein the network representation comprises a plurality of nodes and directed links connecting node-pairs of the plurality of nodes, wherein a node represents at least one of a sub-area within a node set N that includes sub-areas to be monitored or a sub-area within a node set S that includes sub-areas suitable for placement of one of the plurality of sensors, a directed link represents a surveillance relation among a node-pair, and a node-pair comprises a first node suitable for placement of one of the plurality of sensors and an associated second node that is to be monitored; generating by the computing device a sensor location model as a lexicographic maximin model that provides a lexicographically largest ordered vector whose elements represent the coverage levels provided to the nodes that are to be monitored, wherein the model specifies coverage for the nodes that are to be monitored; and generating by the computing device a nonlinear integer model from the sensor location model, wherein the nonlinear integer model is configured to provide sensor placement locations that provide a desirable amount of coverage to the nodes that are to be monitored.