Product Description
The breadth of information about operations research and the overwhelming size of previous sources on the subject make it a difficult topic for non-specialists to grasp. Fortunately, Introduction to the Mathematics of Operations Research with Mathematica®, Second Edition delivers a concise analysis that benefits professionals in operations research and related fields in statistics, management, applied mathematics, and finance.

The second edition retains the character of the earlier version, while incorporating developments in the sphere of operations research, technology, and mathematics pedagogy. Covering the topics crucial to applied mathematics, it examines graph theory, linear programming, stochastic processes, and dynamic programming. This self-contained text includes an accompanying electronic version and a package of useful commands. The electronic version is in the form of Mathematica notebooks, enabling you to devise, edit, and execute/reexecute commands, increasing your level of comprehension and problem-solving.

Mathematica sharpens the impact of this book by allowing you to conveniently carry out graph algorithms, experiment with large powers of adjacency matrices in order to check the path counting theorem and Markov chains, construct feasible regions of linear programming problems, and use the "dictionary" method to solve these problems. You can also create simulators for Markov chains, Poisson processes, and Brownian motions in Mathematica, increasing your understanding of the defining conditions of these processes. Among many other benefits, Mathematica also promotes recursive solutions for problems related to first passage times and absorption probabilities. ... Read more

Product Description
This book is specifically designed to change the way deterministic optimization is taught to introductory students.Toward this end, it exposes students to the broad scope of the topic,reinforces the basic principles, sparks students' enthusiasm about the field, provides tools of immediate relevance and develops the skills necessary to use those tools. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (18)

The quality of this book is appalling
As far as regards content, this is a fine book. It's a textbook, and it does that job.

I am commenting on the horrible cheap production:the publisher has effectively made a photocopy of the hardcover, and is selling it for $100. The cover is flimsy paper, scuffs and bends easily;the text on the pages is askew; and the contrast in the charts and shading is awful.

Great book but poor binding
Prof. Rardin's Optimization in OR is a great book. However the binding for the book does not do its justice as it is sold as a paperback at the Amazon.com. The binding of my copy quickly fell apart. With the kind of the price the book demands and its 900+pages size, it should be a hardback binding.

Book Contents
The "Search inside this book" feature was not available for this book when this review was published. Hope it helps.

Table of Contents
1. Problem Solving with Mathematical Models
2. Deterministic Optimization Models in Operations Research
3. Improving Search
4. Linear Programming Models
5. Simplex Search for Linear Programming
6. Interior Point Methods for Linear Programming
7. Duality and Sensitivity in Linear Programming
9. Shortest Path and Discrete Dynamic Programming
10. Network Flows
11. Discrete Optimization Models
12. Discrete Optimization Methods
13. Unconstrained Nonlinear Programming
14. Constrained Nonlinear Programming

If you need more information, Professor Rardin (Purdue University) maintains a website that can be easily located using any web search tool.

A Clear and Concise Textfor OR
Rardin was the first book I used for OR and I keep a copy in my personal library. It offers a series of examples that are followed up throughout the book, chapter by chapter, to provide insight into the application of mathematics to real world problems. By building the level of complexity, on an ogoing basis through the use of specific examples, Rardin shows the extrmely practical side to why Operations Research is such a fundamentaluse of applied mathematics. The book is easy to read and should easily meet the needs of any upperlevel undergraduate course in Operations Research.

Good operations research book
This book presents the subjects in a different and novel way which provides many new insights.

In it, there is a great concern with the practical, professional use of operations research, as can be easily seen in the modeling examples. This book could be named "Optimization theory with realistic applications". This book certainly enables the students to apply the theory learned in practical situations, while providing the necessary mathematical foundations.

Rardin exposes the subject in a very clear and non-orthodox manner, unifying all algorithms through the use of the improving-search framework. The text is also innovative, containing sections on Genetic Algorithms, Simulated Annealing, Tabu Search and Branch and Cut.

But if you want to go deeper in some subject (linear programming for example) you will need another book.


... Read more

Product Description

Marketing models is a core component of the marketing discipline. The recent developments in marketing models have been incredibly fast with information technology (e.g., the Internet), online marketing (e-commerce) and customer relationship management (CRM) creating radical changes in the way companies interact with their customers. This has created completely new breeds of marketing models, but major progress has also taken place in existing types of marketing models.

Handbook of Marketing Decision Models presents the state of the art in marketing decision models. The book deals with new modeling areas, such as customer relationship management, customer value and online marketing, as well as recent developments in other advertising, sales promotions, sales management, and competition are dealt with. New developments are in consumer decision models, models for return on marketing, marketing management support systems, and in special techniques such as time series and neural nets.

Product Description
Entropy optimization is a useful combination of classical engineering theory (entropy) with mathematical optimization. The resulting entropy optimization models have proved their usefulness with successful applications in areas such as image reconstruction, pattern recognition, statistical inference, queuing theory, spectral analysis, statistical mechanics, transportation planning, urban and regional planning, input--output analysis, portfolio investment, information analysis, and linear and nonlinear programming.While entropy optimization has been used in different fields, a good number of applicable solution methods have been loosely constructed without sufficient mathematical treatment. A systematic presentation with proper mathematical treatment of this material is needed by practitioners and researchers alike in all application areas. The purpose of this book is to meet this need. Entropy Optimization and Mathematical Programming offers perspectives that meet the needs of diverse user communities so that the users can apply entropy optimization techniques with complete comfort and ease. With this consideration, the authors focus on the entropy optimization problems in finite dimensional Euclidean space such that only some basic familiarity with optimization is required of the reader. ... Read more

Product Description

The Handbook of Metrics for Research in Operations Management is a compilation of multi-item scales and objective items that can be used to construct surveys and questionnaires in Operations Management. Such surveys can be sent to manufacturing or service managers to collect empirical data on their operations for research purposes. The metrics can be used to measure constructs such as Total Quality Management, Just-In-Time manufacturing, Operations Strategy, Technology Management, Supply Chain Management, performance of operations and related concepts.

Key Features

• Employs a systematic summary of 1803 multi-item, measurement scales, and objective metrics: Derived from 230 published articles, comprehensive summaries for each scale are available in one source.
• Cross-classifies measurement scales in two ways: Each scale is classified by categories that are based on OM research topics accepted by major OM journals and by first author names.
• Provides a discussion of objective measures used in OM research: Illustrative items and examples from 5 questionnaires are given.
• Increases the efficiency and potential rigor of the researcher’s efforts: Discussion and selected bibliography on key issues for careful construction of new items encourage further development and refinement of psychometrically sound OM metrics.

Intended Audience

This Handbook is an essential, time-saving resource for virtually all operations, supply chain, and technology scholars and practitioners interested in empirical research. A vital addition to all academic libraries, it is intended to serve as a basic reference and guide for construction of surveys and other structured data collection on OM topics.

Periodic updates and further compilations from other journals are available at http://webpages.csom.umn.edu/oms/schroeder/scalebook/index.html.

Meet author Aleda Roth! http://business.clemson.edu/Managemt/faculty/l3_fac_AledaRoth.html

Meet author Roger Schroeder!http://www.csom.umn.edu/Page2075.aspxtype=faculty&eid=21047741

Product Description

Within supply chain management (SCM), postponement is a deliberate action to delay final manufacturing or distribution of a product until receipt of a customer order. This reduces the incidence of wrong manufacturing or incorrect inventory deployment. Postponement strategies and practices serve to reduce the anticipatory risk in a supply chain. It can be fine-tuned or staged so that only the generic parts shared by a firm’s various end products are warehoused, used only once orders come in for whichever products are selling, and will reduce inventory pressures throughout the firm.  Despite much existing research in the area, no one book devoted solely to postponement has been published.

At its core, Postponement Strategies in Supply Chain Management analyzes how both pull postponement strategy and form postponement strategy can be leveraged to yield substantial benefits to adopting firms in different competitive environments.  The book is intended for researchers in supply chain management interested in conducting in-depth studies on postponement strategies. It is also intended for practitioners trying to understand the workings of postponement strategies and looking for guidance and decision support for the implementation of postponement strategies. Therefore, the book can be useful not only for researchers but also for practitioners and graduate students in operations management, management science, and business administration.

Product Description
The Second Edition of Business Research Methods provides essential guidance on the practice of business research and how to carry out a small-scale research project or dissertation for the first time.

It offers an encyclopedic introduction to the core concepts, methods, and values involved in doing business research, from formulating research questions, reviewing the literature, and designing a questionnaire, to carrying out data analysis and presenting research results. The strengths and weaknesses of each research method are examined to help students choose an appropriate methodology, and the wider philosophical issues and ethical controversies that affect business research are discussed to help students make informed research decisions.

The book examines in depth the distinction between quantitative and qualitative research techniques and how and when they should be used, and marries theoretical issues with topical case examples from a number of work-related fields (such as management, strategy, and marketing). It has also been comprehensively updated to reflect the growing use of the internet as a source of data and medium for conducting research, and places new emphasis on the student experience of research by relating the activities of real student researchers back to the research process.

New to this Edition
- Brand new chapter on reviewing the literature that introduces the steps involved in undertaking a critical review to help students get the most out of their reading and build a strong platform for further research.
- Themed boxes that focus on examples of real, published research, key concepts, and practical tips and skills to help students grasp core principles sooner and apply their learning to new research situations.
- Expanded online research guide that takes students step-by-step through their research project and provides essential research advice, checklists, templates, and case exercises to help students become more engaged and organized researchers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Opinion about the book
The subject is boring and you will bear in mind very dull pictures before you actually start reading the book. The first 3 Chapters might give you boring impression, but it is because the platform of the subject has to be revealed even if it is not that exciting. Further chapters are REALLY Good. It is actually the handbook for conducting business research - from the very formulation of your research question till the very end, hypothesis acception or rejection. Moreover, I was advised by many PhD students to use this book while writing my research paper. The book does have all the features stated on the back page of the book. It is not only theoretical guideline but also practical handbook which has answers almost to all your questions. I really like it. ... Read more

Product Description
Operational Research in Industry brings together the experience and expertise of an international group of consultants, researchers, and academics. The book gives practical examples of cross-industry management and covers many different industrial sectors. The selected applications particularly highlight areas where the global market and competition play a crucial part in the decision-making process. The authors' methodologies utilize the tools at the forefront of operational research, especially in modeling, optimization, and data mining. Each chapter describes models, introduces solution techniques, and reports the benefits of implementation. The whole text represents a valuable and up-to-date reference for technical managers, operational researchers, scientists, teachers, and practitioners. ... Read more

Product Description
Community Operational Research: OR and Systems Thinking forCommunity Development sets out the current concerns ofCommunity Operational Research (Community OR for short) and exploresnew possibilities for its development. Leading Community OR writers,international reputations in operational research and systems, havecontributed chapters that illuminate different aspects of Community ORtheory and practice. Following a introductory chapter by the editors on Community OR, thebook is presented in three sections:+ Section One presents "The History and Development of CommunityOR". Exploring the institutional development of Community OR andpeople's motivations for engaging in it. Methodological issues arealso discussed. + Section Two covers "Local Action for Community Development".Even though the emphasis is on dealing with local issues, all theauthors use methods and techniques to support widely informed decisionmaking. In every case, the impacts of a complex variety of phenomenaare taken into account. Even when authors are not using a systemsmethodology, the ideal of comprehensiveness (one of the hallmarks ofsystems thinking) is plain to see. + Section Three is entitled "Dealing Locally with Global Issues".Here, the themes of community development are taken one stage further.This includes authors who are explicitly seeking to address globalissues (e.g., environmental problems and the international dimensionsof poverty) through widely informed local action. + Finally, Section Four, "The Politics of Systemic Intervention",discusses two themes; the political nature of Community OR practice;and the value of systems thinking to community development. ... Read more

Product Description
In its Anniversary 10th Edition, authors Cooper and Schindler continue to provide the most timely, richest, and most comprehensive coverage of the research experience in Business Research Methods. Students and instructors will find thorough coverage of business research topics – including the best coverage of questionnaire design – backed by solid theory. The authors are successful marketing research consultants; their expertise is evident in the realistic Snapshots, Close-Ups, PicProfiles, and case studies found in the text. Managerial decision making is the underlying theme, and topics and applications are presented and organized in a manner that allows students to thoroughly understand business research topics and functions. Consequently, the structure of the text encourages and supports completion of an in-depth business research project during the semester. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Business Research Methods
Excellent quality that was better than described. The book was shipped quickly and prompt information from the seller was provided to keep me abreast of the shipping and delivery.

BUSINESS RESEARCH METHODS
For anyone taking BUS6610 at Troy, this book, the International version, is exactly the same as other versions.I was able to complete the course the same as folks who bought the more expensive U.S. version.Hope this helps. ... Read more

Product Description

Operations Research: An Introduction, 9/e is ideal for or junior/senior undergraduate and first-year graduate courses in Operations Research in departments of Industrial Engineering, Business Administration, Statistics, Computer Science, and Mathematics.

This text streamlines the coverage of the theory, applications, and computations of operations research. Numerical examples are effectively used to explain complex mathematical concepts. A separate chapter of fully analyzed applications aptly demonstrates the diverse use of OR. The popular commercial and tutorial software AMPL, Excel, Excel Solver, and Tora are used throughout the book to solve practical problems and to test theoretical concepts.

Product Description
This text, the second volume of Wayne Winston's successful OPERATIONS RESEARCH: APPLICATIONS AND ALGORITHMS, Fourth Edition, covers probability models with recent contributions from financial engineering, computational simulation and manufacturing. The specific attention to probability models with the addition of recent practical breakthroughs makes this the first text to introduce these ideas together at an accessible level. Excellent problem sets abound. The text provides a balanced approach by developing the underlying theory while illustrating them with interesting examples. All of the necessary mathematical requirements are reviewed in Chapter 1. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Add this to the list of worthless math books
As expected, the book was very scarce on good examples.The theory is there, but several steps are jumped between explanations forcing the reader to visit sources outside of the book to fully understand the concept.Transistion between lessons wasn't smooth wither; there are areas where it asks the reader to refer to Volume 1.What happens if you don't own Volume 1?The book sucks...just like the majority of other math books.

Not sure about the InfoTrac on this item
The description says infotrac but I am not sure where it is... It does not have the normal infotrac access code card inside the front cover.I will probably have to call the publisher to figure this one out (that is what amazon support said to do). ... Read more

Product Description
The Eleventh Edition of Business Research Methods continues to provide the most timely, richest, and most comprehensive coverage of the research experience in Business Research Methods. Students and instructors will find thorough coverage of all business research topics –backed by solid theory.The expertise and practical experience of Cooper and Schindler is evident in the realistic Snapshots, Close-Ups, PicProfiles, and case studies found throughout the text. Managerial decision making is the underlying theme, and topics and applications are presented and organized in a manner that allows students to thoroughly understand the business research function. Consequently, the structure of the text encourages and supports completion of an in-depth business research project during your course. ... Read more

Product Description

Operations Research and Cyber-Infrastructure is the companion volume to the Eleventh INFORMS Computing Society Conference (ICS 2009), held in Charleston, South Carolina, from January 11 to 13, 2009. It includes 24 high-quality refereed research papers.

As always, the focus of interest for ICS is the interface between Operations Research and Computer Science, and the papers in this volume reflect that interest. This is naturally an evolving area as computational power increases rapidly while decreasing in cost even more quickly. The papers included here illustrate the wide range of topics at this interface. For convenience, they are grouped in broad categories and subcategories. There are three papers on modeling, reflecting the impact of recent development in computing on that area. Eight papers are on optimization (three on integer programming, two on heuristics, and three on general topics, of which two involve stochastic/probabilistic processes). Finally, there are thirteen papers on applications (three on the conference theme of cyber-infrastructure, four on routing, and six on other interesting topics). Several of the papers could be classified in more than one way, reflecting the interactions between these topic areas.

Product Description
A Companion to Qualitative Research draws on the work of an array of leading scholars from Europe, Britain and North America to present a summary of every aspect of the qualitative research process from nuts-and-bolts methods and research styles, to examinations of methodological theory and epistemology. It is one of the few surveys of qualitative research to adopt a genuinely international voice. ... Read more

Product Description
Doing Management Research provides answers to questions and problems which researchers invariably encounter when embarking on management research, be it quantitative or qualitative.The book carefully guides the reader through the research process from beginning to end, first explaining how to identify and formulate a research problem, how to define what to investigate, and decide on the most effective process to employ, then enabling the reader to acquire and build upon empirical evidence, and to decide what tools to use to understand and describe what is being observed and which methods of analysis can be best adopted. Finally, the book dedicates a section to writing up and communicating the research findings.

Doing Management Research results from the experience of a large group of researchers who have all had to address the different issues raised when undertaking management research. It is anchored in real methodological problems which researchers face when doing their research. Written in an accessible and easy-to-use style, this book can be read from cover to cover or dipped into, to clarify particular issues during the research process.

Primarily aimed at doctoral students, Doing Management Research is also a useful reference for more senior researchers who are looking for answers to epistemological or methodological problems.

Author//Editor Description:

Raymond Alain Thietart is Professor of Strategy and Management at the University of Paris-Dauphine, and affiliate professor at Essec Business School, France.