Operations Research

What is Operations Research?

Operations Research (OR) is the use of scientific methodology to study systems whose design or operation require human decision making. OR provides the means for making the most effective decisions about systems design and operation. The strength and versatility of OR stems from its diagnostic power through observation and modeling, as well as from its prescriptive power through analysis and synthesis.

OR is interdisciplinary in nature, drawing on and contributing to the techniques from many fields, including mathematics and mathematical sciences, engineering, economics and the physical sciences. OR practitioners have successfully solved a wide variety of real-world problems, varying from the optimal design of telecommunications networks in the face of uncertain demand, to the planning for an optimal deployment of armed forces during wartime. Many new applications originate from current societal problems of energy production and distribution, environmental pollution control, health maintenance and software production.