An Annotated Timeline of Operations Research: An Informal History
recounts the evolution of Operations Research (OR) as a new science -
the science of decision making. Arising from the urgent operational
issues of World War II, the philosophy and methodology of OR has
permeated the resolution of decision problems in business, industry, and
government. The Timeline chronicles the history of OR in the form of
self-contained, expository entries. Each entry presents a concise
explanation of the events and people under discussion, and provides key
sources where further relevant information can be obtained. In addition,
books and papers that have influenced the development of OR or helped to
educate the first generations of OR academics and practitioners are
cited throughout the book. Starting in 1564 with seminal ideas that form
the precursors of OR, the Timeline traces the key ideas and events of OR
through 2004.
The Timeline should interest anyone involved in OR - researchers,
practitioners, academics, and, especially, students - who wish to learn
how OR came into being. Further, the scope and expository style of the
Timeline should make it of value to the general reader interested in the
development of science and technology in the last half of the twentieth
century.