The analytic methods of operations research

Abstract

Originally, the techniques used by operational research teams were borrowed from other scientific fields. However, the scope of problems addressed by this new discipline soon led to the development of special analytic methods, including such now familiar terms as linear programming, game theory, dynamic programming, queueing theory, and so forth. This growth was accelerated by the parallel development of the high-speed digital computer and the modern concepts of solution algorithms and simulation models. When computational storage and speed were limited, emphasis was on the exploitation of a problem’s special structure; as capabilities have expanded and costs have diminished, emphasis has shifted to the problems of data management for largerscale problems. Efficient data-structure methods have led to new methods for ‘unsolvable’ combinatorial problems. Concurrently, there has been an explosion in the theoretical literature. Specialty journals flourish in the various methodological areas, and conference offerings have grown to an unwieldy size. Most major universities now offer courses and degree programmes in O.R., based on topics which were unknown twenty years ago, and which use a wide variety of available textbooks. Furthermore, it is increasingly difficult to draw a firm line between O.R. and other disciplines, as successful techniques are routinely taught and used in their fields of application, including a variety of new disciplines such as transportation and urban planning, waste management, energy analysis, environmental engineering, health care systems, etc. O.R. methods have also had a large influence on theoretical fields, such as mathematics, statistics and economics. Recent developments in selected methodological areas are surveyed to indicate the variety and sophistication of O.R. techniques, and current research trends. Selected bibliographic references provide an introduction to the techniques, or to important new developments. In conclusion, the current crises which have appeared within the profession are discussed, and the prospects of this now-mature field are analysed.