OR 501

OR 501

INTRODUCTION TO OPERATIONS RESEARCH

Section 001 For Mature, Motivated, DisciplinedStudents

If a man will begin with certainties hewill end with doubts, but if he will be content to begin with doubts he shallend in certainties.

Francis Bacon, Advancement of Learning

It's choice - not chance - that determines your destiny.

John Dewey

If you don't believe in random sampling, the next time you have a blood test tell the doctor to take it all.

Operations Research myths this course will disprove:
Myth1: "If I had one hour left to live, I would live it in operations researchclass because it would seem to last forever!"
A student's lament
Myth 2: "If it moves, it's biology; if it changes color, it'schemistry; if it breaks, it's physics; if it puts you to sleep, it's operations research.
Bob Hogg, University of Iowa
Myth 3: Math class is tough!
Barbie's 1992 voice chip by Mattell

Instructor
Thomas W. Reiland

Home
This course will be a hit....

Associate Professor of Statistics and Operations Research

Department of Statistics

215A Patterson Hall

Box 8203, Raleigh, NC 27695-8203

tel: (919) 515-1939

fax: (919) 515-7591

FedX: 2501 Founders Dr., Room 201

Email: reiland@stat.ncsu.edu

...and positively impact your future

Beginning of Semester

Spring 2009

"But where shall I begin?"asked Alice. "Begin at the beginning," the King said gravely, "and go on till you come to the end; then stop."

Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

"We shall not cease from exploration and the end of all of our exploring will be to arrive where we started and to know the place for the first time."

T.S. Eliot

Welcome to Section 001 of OR 501!!

Our first class meeting will be 8:30-9:45 Thursday, January 8 in Riddick 319

Throughout the semester we will meet in Riddick 319, T, H, 8:30 - 9:45. Check Registration and Records now to be certain that you are enrolled in the class.

IMPORTANT ITEMS

EMAIL I will frequently communicate with the class using email. The email address that I will use to contact you is the address on file at Registration and Records. Be certain that this address is the one to which you want your course-related email sent. This will ensure that you receive important course information in a timely manner. You can change your email address at the Registration and Records homepage by clicking on the MyPackPortal link.
COURSE TEXT The text for the course is Spreadsheet Modeling and Decision Analysis by Cliff T. Ragsdale, 5th ed. revised, 2008, 978-0-324-65663-3, South-Western.
TEACHING ASSISTANT tba Email: tba@unity.ncsu.edu
OFFICE HOURS Dr. Reiland Tuesday, Thursday: 3:00-4:00, Friday 1:45-2:45 and by appointment, 215A Patterson; Teaching Asssistant tba

COURSE DESRIPTION

The term operations research means a scientific approach to decision making, where the objective is to determine how best to design and operate a system, usually under conditions that require allocation of limited resources. Operations Research 501 will be principally a survey course in operations research to meet the needs of students from a variety of backgrounds. The topics to be covered are characteristic of current operations research practice and include linear programming, network analysis, probability theory, queueing theory, dynamic programming, inventory theory, and nonlinear programming. The analysis of these models using Excel spreadsheets will be emphasized. The major prerequisite is matrix algebra; other required preliminary material, including topics in differential calculus and probability theory, will be covered as needed.

Powerpoint Slides from Lectures (subject to modifications during the semester)

Excel Files from Lecture