01-07-2013, 08:35 PM
Operational research (OR) encompasses a wide range of problem-solving techniques and
methods applied in the pursuit of improved decision-making and efficiency. Some of the tools
used by operational researchers are statistics, optimization, probability theory, queuing theory,
game theory, graph theory, decision analysis, mathematical modeling and simulation. Because of
the computational nature of these fields, OR also has strong ties to computer science and
analytics. Operational researchers faced with a new problem must determine which of these
techniques are most appropriate given the nature of the system, the goals for improvement, and
constraints on time and computing power.