Abstract
The concept of operational research as it is currently understood was mainly developed in World War II. The name operational research (or operations research as it is called in the American literature) arose because the concern in the war context was research on (military) operations. Although the concept was largely developed during the war the subject has advanced very greatly since that time. The immediate post-war years saw the recognition of operational research as an identifiable and respected area of study through the formation of the Operational Research Society and the establishment of departments of operational research in a number of universities. Then from the mid-nineteen-sixties onwards the practice of operational research has expanded greatly through the rapid development of computer technology, making possible the application of ideas which could previously be appreciated only at a theoretical level. Also in the post-war era, the primary area of operational research use has shifted from the military (where it remains, however, very important) to the area of industrial, commercial and governmental organisations. It is used by multinationals, nationalised industries, large-scale chemical producers and many private companies.
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J.W. Bryant (ed.), Financial Modelling in Corporate Management (Chichester: Wiley, 1982).
D. Martin (ed.), Operational Research — The Science of Decision Making in Business, Industry, Government and Society (Birmingham: Operational Research Society, 1985).
P. Rivett, Model Building for Decision Analysis (Chichester: Wiley, 1980).
B. Wilson, Systems: Concepts, Methodologies, and Applications (Chichester: Wiley, 1984).
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© 1986 T. A. Burley and G. O’Sullivan
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Burley, T.A., O’Sullivan, G. (1986). Introduction. In: Work Out Operational Research. Macmillan Master Series. Palgrave, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-08157-8_1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-08157-8_1
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