Operations research: Difference between revisions

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Originally introduced in a military context, '''operations research''' applied quantitative methods, especially of [[statistics]], to developing optimal solutions to challenges in military operations. Some of the early areas of concentration were [[anti-submarine warfare]] and the aiming of [[anti-aircraft artillery]].
Originally introduced in a military context, '''operations research''' applied quantitative methods, especially of [[statistics]], to developing optimal solutions to challenges in military operations. While it is usually described as having started in WWII, the Canadian Army approach to [[counterbattery]] in the First World War may well have been a first application.<ref>{{citation
| author = JS Finan and WJ Hurley
| title = McNaughton and Canadian operational research at Vimy
| journal = Journal of the Operational Research Society | year = 1997 | volume = 45 | pages= 10-14}}</ref> Some of the early areas of concentration, in the Second World War, were [[anti-submarine warfare]] and the aiming of [[anti-aircraft artillery]].


As the field developed, it began to introduce methods from other quantitative fields, and develop its own toolkit. <ref name=Goerger>{{citation
As the field developed, it began to introduce methods from other quantitative fields, and develop its own toolkit. <ref name=Goerger>{{citation
  | title = Tutorial Report: Equipping the Analysis Toolkit
  | title = Tutorial Report: Equipping the Analysis Toolkit
  | first = Simon | last = Goerger
  | author = Simon Goerger
  | date = 20-22 February 2007
  | date = 20-22 February 2007
  | publisher = Military Operations Research Society
  | publisher = Military Operations Research Society

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Originally introduced in a military context, operations research applied quantitative methods, especially of statistics, to developing optimal solutions to challenges in military operations. While it is usually described as having started in WWII, the Canadian Army approach to counterbattery in the First World War may well have been a first application.[1] Some of the early areas of concentration, in the Second World War, were anti-submarine warfare and the aiming of anti-aircraft artillery.

As the field developed, it began to introduce methods from other quantitative fields, and develop its own toolkit. [2] Optimization techniques were key, coming from mathematics, economics, game theory. Extensive use was made of techniques such as linear programming, nonlinear programming and dynamic programming.

References

  1. JS Finan and WJ Hurley (1997), "McNaughton and Canadian operational research at Vimy", Journal of the Operational Research Society 45: 10-14
  2. Simon Goerger (20-22 February 2007), Tutorial Report: Equipping the Analysis Toolkit, Military Operations Research Society