| Popis: |
Operations Research (OR) (also called Operational Research and Operations Analysis) has its origins in tackling military problems and requirements using scientific methods and common sense. This paper aims to provide an overview of its origins, a summary on recent past, and current practices. While many ingenious persons have come up with creative ways to ensure the military means and tools were more effective and efficient over the centuries, not all of these individual efforts can qualify as an organized scientific discipline. Thus, it is important to note that the author refrains from the premise of “the older the better” and focus of the paper is on “practical” emergence of OR as an “applied science” in the years just preceding and during World War II (WW2). Military applications of OR, where it stemmed from, are provided throughout the paper. After WW2, unemployed OR analysts started using their skills on making things better, more effective, and more efficient in the civilian industry and this tradition continues today with great success. It would be over ambitious to attempt to cover all of OR’s applications and contributions in a single paper. Therefore, the attempt here is to provide a glimpse of Military OR’s origins, recent past, current application areas. |
