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Operations Research Trajectories: The Anglo-American Experience from the 1940s to the 1990s

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  • Maurice W. Kirby

    (Department of Economics, The Management School, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YX, United Kingdom)

Abstract

This paper is derived from the author's sponsored history of Operations Research in Britain from its formal inception in the later 1930s. It is inspired by the knowledge that any history of OR in Britain that ignores the interrelationship with OR in the United States would be grossly incomplete. This relates not only to the period of military collaboration in World War II but also to the profound influence on British operations researchers of American-derived techniques and methods. The Anglo-American perspective serves also to highlight major contrasts, as well as striking similarities in the development of OR in both countries. The paper advocates the need for ongoing research into the history of OR as an essential complement to the advancing frontier of knowledge, both in theory and in practice. Virtually all disciplines worthy of university-level study have their chroniclers, and this should apply with no less force to OR in the light of its impressive trajectory of development and early acknowledgment of its utilitarian value in a wide variety of settings in the public and private sectors.

Suggested Citation

  • Maurice W. Kirby, 2000. "Operations Research Trajectories: The Anglo-American Experience from the 1940s to the 1990s," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 48(5), pages 661-670, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:inm:oropre:v:48:y:2000:i:5:p:661-670
    DOI: 10.1287/opre.48.5.661.12402
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Mingers, John, 2011. "Soft OR comes of age--but not everywhere!," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 39(6), pages 729-741, December.
    2. Abuabara, Leila & Paucar-Caceres, Alberto, 2021. "Surveying applications of Strategic Options Development and Analysis (SODA) from 1989 to 2018," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 292(3), pages 1051-1065.
    3. ManMohan S. Sodhi & Christopher S. Tang, 2008. "The OR/MS Ecosystem: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 56(2), pages 267-277, April.
    4. Smith, Chris M. & Shaw, Duncan, 2019. "The characteristics of problem structuring methods: A literature review," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 274(2), pages 403-416.
    5. Maurice W. Kirby, 2007. "Paradigm Change in Operations Research: Thirty Years of Debate," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 55(1), pages 1-13, February.
    6. Yiting Xing & Ling Li & Zhuming Bi & Marzena Wilamowska‐Korsak & Li Zhang, 2013. "Operations Research (OR) in Service Industries: A Comprehensive Review," Systems Research and Behavioral Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(3), pages 300-353, May.
    7. Appa Korukonda, 2006. "Globalization, social development, and operations research: an exploration of strategies for success," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 143(1), pages 21-30, March.
    8. Bruce Cronin, 2010. "The Diffusion of Heterodox Economics," American Journal of Economics and Sociology, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 69(5), pages 1475-1494, November.
    9. Ranyard, J.C. & Fildes, R. & Hu, Tun-I, 2015. "Reassessing the scope of OR practice: The Influences of Problem Structuring Methods and the Analytics Movement," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 245(1), pages 1-13.
    10. Martin Shubik, 2002. "Game Theory and Operations Research: Some Musings 50 Years Later," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 50(1), pages 192-196, February.
    11. David Matthews, 2008. "Metadecision making: rehabilitating interdisciplinarity in the decision sciences," Systems Research and Behavioral Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(2), pages 157-179, March.
    12. A Morton & L D Phillips, 2009. "Fifty years of probabilistic decision analysis: a view from the UK," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 60(1), pages 33-40, May.
    13. M W Kirby, 2003. "The intellectual journey of Russell Ackoff: from OR apostle to OR apostate," Journal of the Operational Research Society, Palgrave Macmillan;The OR Society, vol. 54(11), pages 1127-1140, November.
    14. Meltem Denizel & Behlul Usdiken & Deniz Tuncalp, 2003. "Drift or Shift? Continuity, Change, and International Variation in Knowledge Production in OR/MS," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 51(5), pages 711-720, October.

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