Based on our broad view of OR/MS, we enlisted a distinguished international group of academics and We also wanted to establish the close associations that OR/MS has maintained with other scientific endeavors, with special emphasis on its symbiotic relationships with computer science, information systems, and mathematics. The editors, working with the Encyclopedia’s Editorial Advisory Board, surveyed and divided OR/MS into specific topics that collectively encompass the foundations, applications, and emerging elements of this ever-changing field. The Encyclopedia of Operations Research and Management Science is the prologue to that story. The impact of OR/MS on the quality of life and economic well being of everyone is a story that deserves to be told in its full detail and glory.
The goal of the Encyclopedia of Operations Research and Management Science is to provide decision makers and problem solvers in business, industry, government, and academia a comprehensive overview of the wide range of ideas, methodologies, and synergistic forces that combine to form the preeminent decision-aiding fields of operations research and management science (OR/MS).
