The Operations Research / Management Science Blog

The Operations Research / Management Science Blog

Entries from January 2008

The Hidden Contribution of Operations Research to Holiday Fun

January 29th, 2008 · No Comments · Scheduling

When tourists are having good times, they rarely wonder if there is a unique group of people who do scientific research day after day just to ensure that their trips go smoothly and are as hassle-free as possible. These people, known as Operations Research (OR) specialists, make hidden contributions to the world by making everyday [...]

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Operations Research and Hockey - What Are the Odds?

January 27th, 2008 · No Comments · Sports

With his love for hockey and the purpose of motivating his students, the Management Science (MS) professor Armann Ingolfsson at the University of Alberta School of Business developed a computer model to calculate the probability of which teams should make the NHL playoffs this year, and which should fail to do so.
His results indicate that [...]

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Operations Research and E-business - Mutual Impacts

January 23rd, 2008 · No Comments · E-Business

A special issue of Interfaces named “Operations Research in the E-Business Era” published several years ago included a number of journal articles on the applications of Operations Research (OR) in e-business. The issue delivered a simple but important message: OR plays a critical role in the digital economy. I have always been interested in the [...]

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Four British Universities Unite to Boost Operations Research

January 22nd, 2008 · No Comments · General

According to Innovations Report, four British universities, Lancaster, Nottingham, Cardiff and Southampton, are brought together by a £12 million initiative named LANCS to boost Operational Research (OR) in the UK. The LANCS initiative is supported with a Science and Innovation Award from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), which is the main UK [...]

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Operations Research in the Airline Industry

January 22nd, 2008 · No Comments · Airline, Scheduling

I found this video on the iTunes store. It is a recording of Dr. Tuell Green’s talk on the applications of Operations Research (OR) in the airline industry. Dr. Green earned a Ph.D. in OR from University of North Carolina and worked with American Airlines in Texas. He specializes in Applied Probability in Queuing Theory. [...]

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The OR Personality

January 20th, 2008 · 1 Comment · General, OR History

An article titled “Model World: The Hidden Ingredient and Nature vs. Nurture” written by Dr. Saul I. Gass at the Decision and Information Technologies Department at University of Maryland was published on the current issue of Interfaces. In the article the author talked about what makes an individual the “OR type” of person by telling [...]

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The Minimization of the Amount of Packaging Materials Used in Consumer Products

January 19th, 2008 · 3 Comments · Environment, Optimization, Proposals

On Jan 15, 2008, the annual trade show Macworld Conference & Expo was held in San Francisco, where the CEO of Apple Inc., Steve Jobs, introduced a new product called “Macbook Air“, which is an ultra-portable laptop. During his keynote speech, he mentioned that the retail packaging of Macbook Airs is 56% less in volume [...]

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Professor Leon Lasdon on the Importance of Operations Research

January 13th, 2008 · No Comments · Scheduling

Here is a great video of a professor discussing the importance of Operations Research.
Leon Lasdon, a professor in the Information, Risk, and Operations Management department at the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin, discussed the importance of operations research (OR) as an element of corporate decision making Oct. 16 during [...]

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What is Operations Research and What Makes a Good OR Professional?

January 13th, 2008 · No Comments · General, Off Topic

One of the questions that most Operations Research (OR) professionals are afraid of being asked is probably “What is OR?”. It is difficult, even for a seasoned OR professional, to describe the field to a person with little or no relevant background. One of the main causes of this problem is that the term “Operations [...]

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First Article

January 12th, 2008 · No Comments · General, Off Topic

Hello, all. This is the first article on The Operations Research / Management Sciences Blog (The ORMS Blog). My name is Suri Like. I am a recent university graduate who is passionate about the world of Operations Research / Management Sciences (ORMS). In fact currently I am applying for graduate programs in related areas. Since [...]

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