ABSTRACT
Operations research has its formal origins dating back to the British and US military during World War II. In the war, scientists and engineers were tasked with applying their skills to improve combat decision making and operations at the tactical, operational, and strategic levels. In war, operations research was applied to quantify what is often thought of as unquantifiable in order to improve, expedite, or gain confidence in decision making and planning. These decisions often involved allocating scarce resources, money, and personnel, to the varying battlefields to improve the war’s outcomes for the allied forces.
