The standard view of Operations Research/Management Science (OR/MS) dichotomizes the field into deterministic and probabilistic (nondeterministic, stochastic) subfields. This division can be seen by reading the contents page of just about any OR/MS textbook. The mathematical models that help to define OR/MS are usually presented in terms of one subfield or the other. This separation comes about somewhat artificially: academic courses are conveniently subdivided with respect to prerequisites; an initial overview of OR/MS can be presented without requiring knowledge of probability and statistics; text books are conveniently divided into two related semester courses, with deterministic models coming first; academics tend to specialize in one subfield or the other; and practitioners also tend to be expert in a single subfield. But, no matter who is involved in an OR/MS modeling situation (deterministic or probabilistic - academic or practitioner), it is clear that a proper and correct treatment of any problem situation is accomplished only when the analysis cuts across this dichotomy.
| ISBN: | 9780792399179 |
| Publication date: | 31st May 1997 |
| Author: | Tomás Gál, Harvey J Greenberg |
| Publisher: | Springer an imprint of Springer US |
| Format: | Hardback |
| Series: | International Series in Operations Research & Management Science |
| Genres: |
Operational research Management decision making Optimization Production and industrial engineering |