--- title: Operations Research description: Operations research applies advanced analytical and mathematical methods to help make better decisions. Learners will understand how to use optimization, probability, and statistics to solve complex allocation, scheduling, and logistical problems in business and engineering. category: engineering subcategory: industrial-engineering difficulty: beginner, intermediate, advanced url: /subject/operations-research --- # Operations Research Operations research applies advanced analytical and mathematical methods to help make better decisions. Learners will understand how to use optimization, probability, and statistics to solve complex allocation, scheduling, and logistical problems in business and engineering. ## Available Resources 2 Books • 2 Courses • 4 Websites ## Courses ### 1. Optimization Methods (MIT 15.093J) **Author:** Dimitris Bertsimas Graduate survey of optimization algorithms: the simplex method, network flows, branch and bound and cutting planes, nonlinear optimality conditions, interior point methods, Newton's method, and dynamic programming. Provides lecture notes, problem sets and exams, emphasizing the mathematical structure behind each method. **Difficulty:** Advanced | **Price:** Free **Link:** https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/15-093j-optimization-methods-fall-2009/ **Tags:** linear-programming, simplex-method, integer-programming, nonlinear-optimization, interior-point-methods, dynamic-programming ### 2. Optimization Methods in Management Science (MIT 15.053) **Author:** James Orlin, Ebrahim Nasrabadi Theory, algorithms and applications of optimization for management: linear programming, network optimization, integer programming and decision trees, applied to logistics, manufacturing and finance. Offers lecture slides and problem sets with solutions, so learners can formulate and solve practical optimization models. **Difficulty:** Intermediate | **Price:** Free **Link:** https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/15-053-optimization-methods-in-management-science-spring-2013/ **Tags:** linear-programming, network-optimization, integer-programming, decision-trees, operations-research ## Websites ### 1. INFORMS Resources Introductory page from INFORMS, the professional society for operations research and analytics, explaining what the field is, its core methods such as optimization, simulation and queuing theory, and where they are applied. Gives newcomers a map of the discipline before studying specific techniques. **Difficulty:** Beginner | **Price:** Free **Link:** https://www.informs.org/Explore/Operations-Research **Tags:** operations-research, optimization, simulation, decision-analysis, analytics ### 2. OR-Tools Documentation Google's open-source suite for combinatorial optimization, with guides and code for linear and mixed-integer programming, constraint programming via CP-SAT, vehicle routing, scheduling, and bin packing. Readers learn to model and solve these problems in Python or C++. **Difficulty:** Beginner | **Price:** Free **Link:** https://developers.google.com/optimization **Tags:** optimization, constraint-programming, vehicle-routing, linear-programming, cp-sat ### 3. IISE - Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers The professional society for industrial and systems engineers, publishing ISE magazine, a body-of-knowledge outline, webinars, and its Problem Solved podcast. Useful for mapping what the discipline covers and which specialisations—supply chain, healthcare systems, ergonomics—exist. **Difficulty:** Beginner | **Price:** Free **Link:** https://www.iise.org/ **Tags:** industrial engineering, systems engineering, professional society, career resources ### 4. informs.org INFORMS is the leading professional society for operations research and analytics. The site offers resources on OR concepts and applications, access to journals and publications, conference information, member benefits, and educational and career tools. **Difficulty:** Intermediate | **Language:** English | **Price:** Free **Link:** https://informs.org **Tags:** websites, engineering-manufacturing, industrial-engineering ## Books ### 1. Introduction to Operations Research **Author:** Frederick S. Hillier, Gerald J. Lieberman The standard survey textbook for operations research, covering linear and integer programming, network flows, dynamic programming, queueing theory, and simulation. Readers finish able to formulate real decision problems as optimization models and interpret the solutions. **Difficulty:** Intermediate | **Language:** English | **Price:** Paid **Link:** https://www.amazon.com/dp/0078414474?tag=edmonddante07-20 **Tags:** books, engineering-manufacturing, industrial-engineering ### 2. Operations Research: Applications and Algorithms **Author:** Wayne L. Winston Winston's textbook pairs algorithmic detail with hundreds of worked business cases across linear programming, integer programming, inventory, queueing, and decision analysis. Students come away able to build spreadsheet models and choose the right technique for a given problem. **Difficulty:** Intermediate | **Language:** English | **Price:** Paid **Link:** https://www.amazon.com/dp/0534209718?tag=edmonddante07-20 **Tags:** books, engineering-manufacturing, industrial-engineering --- *This content is part of Dantes.io - Your Treasure Map to Knowledge* *Curated by humans at Dantes.io. Personal study use welcome; republishing this curation requires permission (team@dantes.io).* View this page online: https://dantes.io/subject/operations-research