Operations Research (OR) is defined, according to the International Federation of Operational Research Societies, as a scientific approach to the solution of problems in the management of complex systems. Unlike the natural sciences, OR is a science of the artificial in that its object is not natural reality but rather human-made reality, the reality of complex human-machine systems. OR involves not just theoretical study but also practical application. Its purpose is not only to understand the world as it is, but also to develop guidelines about how to change it in order to achieve aims or to solve certain problems. Ethical considerations are thus crucial to almost all aspects of OR research and practice.

Origins

OR as a specific scientific discipline dates back to the years immediately preceding World War II. First in the United Kingdom and later in the United States, interdisciplinary groups were constituted...