From: "George N. White III" Subject: Re: Q: Optimization vs. Operational Research ? Date: Fri, 25 Aug 2000 16:07:10 GMT Newsgroups: sci.math.num-analysis Summary: [missing] On Fri, 25 Aug 2000, Brano Titurus wrote: > Hi, > > Could somebody knowledgeable tell (explain to) me what is the difference > between (these two fields) Optimization and Operational (or Operations) > Research? > > Thanks a lot for interest! > > Brano Operations Research (OR) encompasses a variety of tools, including optimization, game theory, and queuing theory, but is probably best defined as mathematics applied to "operational" problems, i.e., what is the best way to accomplish some task? Many OR problems require solution of optimization problems. While the pioneers of OR also invented many optimization algorithms, it is probably safe to say that for most OR practioners, formulating a practical problem in terms of a model that can be solved using existing well-known algorithms is a more common activity than making contributions to the body of optimization methods and theory. -- George N. White III Bedford Institute of Oceanography ============================================================================== From: mittelmann@asu.edu Subject: Re: Q: Optimization vs. Operational Research ? Date: Fri, 25 Aug 2000 13:43:55 GMT Newsgroups: sci.math.num-analysis 1. you are posting in the wrong newsgroup: sci.op-research 2. you have an excellent book giving you a good overview over continuous optimization. many problems in OR are not (complelety) continuous. 3. look at the page http://mat.gsia.cmu.edu Hans Mittelmann ----------------------------------------------------------------------- In article <39A64434.13D07D44@sjf.stuba.sk>, Brano Titurus wrote: > Recently, I came across some book or script about Operations Research (OR). > In addition to this, Nocedal's book (Nocedal, J., Wright, S.J.: Numerical > Optimization, (Springer Series in Operations Research)) was advised to me as > a good source of information about contemporary optimization. Obviously, OR > is mentioned in its title. These events aroused my interest and > brought about that question (What is OR? What is difference between OR and > Optimization?). > Unfortunately, I had never heard about OR until that time. When I went > through that script I found that there is a lot of stuff about optimization. > I am a mechanical engineer and from my university courses I know nothing > about OR. However, I have some basic knowledge of optimization. This caused > small confusion in my mind. What is what? I have some more questions. :-) > > Is Optimization considered as an independent field of research, possibly > subset of Mathematics (or interdisciplinary field: > mathematics-computing-etc.)? > Is OR application of Optimization on real world problems - but only problems > of some kind (!Economics!, !Business!, ?Engineering?, etc.)? > Is Optimization one of more (many) tools used by OR to achieve its goals??? > When I am doing, for instance some mass optimization of some structure via > Finite Element Method, has this something common with OR? Or, is OR focused > on some more or less well defined kind of real world problems? > > I presume that my confusion in this matter is caused due to my english. > Maybe the word _operations_ is the key (limiting possible aplication of > OR)!?!?!?!?! > > Brano > > "E. Robert Tisdale" wrote: > > > Brano Titurus wrote: > > > > > Could somebody knowledgeable tell (explain to) me > > > what is the difference between (these two fields) > > > Optimization and Operational (or Operations) Research? > > > > I'm not really sure that there is such a field as Optimization Research. > > Operations Research is a field in which optimization is important -- > > for strategic planning, logistics, etc. as in a business, the military, > > finance or a government bureaucracy. > > People who do research in Operations Research > > often do research on optimization > > and especially on computer algorithms nowadays > > and especially on heuristic search algorithms > > and especially hill climbing or gradient descent algorithms. > > > > Tell us more about how you came to ask this question > > and we may be able to give you more help. > > Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ Before you buy. ==============================================================================