Wiktionary
n. (context operations English) The application of scientific methods and techniques to problems of decision making, especially in business management and government administration.
WordNet
n. research designed to determine most efficient way to do something
Wikipedia
Operations research, or operational research in British usage, is a discipline that deals with the application of advanced analytical methods to help make better decisions. Further, the term 'operational analysis' is used in the British (and some British Commonwealth) military, as an intrinsic part of capability development, management and assurance. In particular, operational analysis forms part of the Combined Operational Effectiveness and Investment Appraisals (COEIA), which support British defence capability acquisition decision-making.
It is often considered to be a sub-field of mathematics. The terms management science and decision science are sometimes used as synonyms.
Employing techniques from other mathematical sciences, such as mathematical modeling, statistical analysis, and mathematical optimization, operations research arrives at optimal or near-optimal solutions to complex decision-making problems. Because of its emphasis on human-technology interaction and because of its focus on practical applications, operations research has overlap with other disciplines, notably industrial engineering and operations management, and draws on psychology and organization science. Operations research is often concerned with determining the maximum (of profit, performance, or yield) or minimum (of loss, risk, or cost) of some real-world objective. Originating in military efforts before World War II, its techniques have grown to concern problems in a variety of industries.
'' Operations Research'' is a bimonthly peer-reviewed academic journal covering operations research that is published by INFORMS. It was established in 1952 as the Journal of the Operations Research Society of America and obtained its current name in 1955. The journal is indexed by Mathematical Reviews and Zentralblatt MATH. Its 2009 MCQ was 0.23, and its 2009 impact factor was 1.576.
Usage examples of "operations research".
From Clemson University, he earned a Master of Science degree in Mathematical Sciences, with concentrations in Operations Research and Scientific Computing.
That concept turned the problem of locating Acorna's home world from a straightforward task of astrophysical analysis to a complex optimization program requiring sophisticated operations research techniques.
He resided in South Carolina when he attended graduate school at Clemson University, where he earned a Master of Science degree in mathematical sciences, with concentrations in operations research and scientific computing.
But we have obvious other advantages: genetics, for instance, and operations research, the theory of games, the Dirac transmitter it's quite an arsenal, and of course there's a good deal of prediction involved in all those things.