Introduction to Operational Research – SS2 Further Mathematics Lesson Note (Second Term)

Operations research is an area of study which applies mathematics and statistics to problems of management industry, business, commerce, organization and production. It deals with the effective management of man and machine systems in any business enterprise or organization to minimize cost and maximize profit. 

It is a scientific method of optimally allocating scarce resources for effective management decision-making. 

Operations research is also now a recognized and respected field of study the world over colleges and universities because of its powerful tool for solving problems of man and his scarce resources. It was started after the Second World War, in military operations to enhance efficiency.

MAJOR STEPS TAKEN IN OPERATIONS RESEARCH

1. Identification and formulation of the problem at hand.
2. Construction of a (mathematical) model for solving the problems.
3. Analyzing or solving the model.
4. Concluding the solution to the model.
5. Implementation of the findings or results.

MODELS OF OPERATIONS RESEARCH. 

These are the ideal representation of a real-life situation. A mathematical model is any system of definitions, assumptions, equations and/or inequalities set up to analyze a natural phenomenon. 

An example of a mathematical model is the simple equations of motion of a particle along a straight line. In operations research, mathematical models are constructed to solve problems involving decision-making. 

Some models of operations research include:

1. Linear programming models 
2. Transportation models
3. Assignment models

The most popular methods for solving their programming models are:

1. Graphical method
2. Simplex method