Operations Research (OR) is the mathematics of making better business decisions. The field explores various principles and algorithms to produce the most efficient and cost-effective solutions to real-world problems. From data analysis to modeling, OR is an invaluable tool for businesses and organizations that want to maximize efficiency and effectiveness.
In essence, the reason why I became highly interested in the OR field is not only because of its contribution to society but also because of how problems of varying natures and degrees are solved. There is a sense of creativity and heuristics in problem-solving while remaining mathematically objective. Unlike pure calculus or statistics, solving OR problems is fluid and strategic. Furthermore, it is closer to real-world situations.
The adaptability of information, skills, and tools in numerous sectors is an appealing quality of OR. Organizations and sectors widely use it for diverse objectives, ranging from agriculture, energy trading, production, and sales to the space industry, asset pricing, military operations, and demand forecasting.
| Title | Description | Tools |
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| A Meeting Schedule Problem | A manager aims to minimize the movement of employees when scheduling for project meetings while considering the fact that employees are working on several different projects. |
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| A Traveling Salesperson Problem | Given 11 nodes randomly placed in a 2D-coordinate systems, the path with the least cost and passes through each node once is sought. |
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| A Warehouse Location Problem | A company seeks to build new warehouses in at least one of their four interested locations. In addition, the warehouses should minimize the fixed and delivery costs while meeting the demand of their customers. |
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| A Job Sequencing Problem | The problem asks to find the sequence that minimizes the total cost given 5 jobs. One should take into account the processing times and due dates, as well as the associated costs incurred for any delays or interruptions. |
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