QUESTION:

Define Operational Research. Discuss its Importance/Role of

Operational Research.
Operational Research (OR), also known as Operations Research, is a discipline that
uses mathematical and analytical methods to solve complex decision-making
problems. It focuses on improving the efficiency and effectiveness of organizations
and their processes, often in the context of business, industry, government, and
various other fields. OR is a multi-disciplinary approach that combines techniques
from mathematics, statistics, computer science, engineering, and other areas to
make informed decisions.
The importance and role of Operational Research can be summarized as
follows:
1. Decision Support:
OR provides decision-makers with quantitative and data-driven tools to help them
make better decisions. This includes optimizing resource allocation, scheduling,
and planning.
2. Efficiency and Cost Reduction:
OR helps organizations identify inefficiencies in their operations and find ways to
streamline processes, reduce costs, and improve productivity. For example, it can
help optimize supply chain management, production, and logistics.
3. Resource Allocation:
OR is used to allocate limited resources optimally, such as personnel, budget, time,
and equipment. It ensures that resources are used in the most effective way to
achieve organizational goals.
4. Risk Management:
OR assists in assessing and mitigating risks by modeling various scenarios and
evaluating their potential impacts. This is valuable in fields such as finance and
project management.
 5. Performance Improvement:
OR helps organizations measure and improve performance metrics, such as
quality, speed, and customer satisfaction. It provides the tools to set objectives
and monitor progress toward those objectives.
6. Planning and Forecasting:
OR aids in long-term planning and forecasting by using mathematical models and
simulations to make predictions about future scenarios. This is crucial in strategic
decision-making.
7. Healthcare and Public Services:
OR plays a significant role in healthcare management, optimizing patient
scheduling, hospital resource allocation, and disease control. It is also used in
public services like transportation planning and emergency response.
8. Military and Defense:
OR is used extensively in military strategy and operations, including troop
deployment, logistics, and resource allocation.
QUESTION:
Define Linear Programming. Why we use linear programming in
research.
Linear programming is a mathematical optimization technique used to find the
best outcome in a mathematical model with linear relationships. It is a
fundamental component of operations research, which is a field of study that uses
mathematical and analytical methods to solve complex decision-making problems.
Linear programming is specifically employed in operations research for
several reasons:
1. Mathematical modeling:
Linear programming helps in modeling real-world problems mathematically,
especially when there are constraints and linear relationships among variables. It
allows you to represent the problem in a way that can be solved using
mathematical algorithms.
 2. Resource allocation:
Many decision-making problems involve the allocation of limited resources (such
as time, money, labor, or materials) to different activities or projects. Linear
programming helps in determining the most efficient way to allocate these
resources to achieve a specific objective.
3. Optimization:
Linear programming is used to optimize an objective function (e.g., maximize
profit, minimize cost, or maximize production) while adhering to constraints. It
allows decision-makers to find the best possible solution that meets all the
requirements and constraints of the problem.
4. Linear relationships:
Linear programming assumes that the relationships between decision variables
and constraints are linear. While this simplification may not always hold in reality,
it is often a reasonable approximation for a wide range of problems.
5. Sensitivity analysis:
Linear programming provides sensitivity analysis tools that help assess the impact
of changes in problem parameters. This is valuable for decision-makers to
understand how robust their solutions are to changes in the problem
environment.
6. Applications:
Linear programming is widely used in various fields, including manufacturing,
supply chain management, transportation, finance, and many others. It is a
versatile tool that can address a broad spectrum of decision-making problems.
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