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Operations Research
Operations Research (O.R.) is the discipline of applying advanced analytical methods to help make better decisions and is sometimes referred to as Management Science or simply as Optimization. It applies mathematical methods, coupled with the latest computing software, to problems arising in industry. Operations Research is characterized by its broad applicability and by a wide variety of career opportunities and work styles it embraces. It is also characterized by its interdisciplinary nature.
The Operations Research BSc offered by the Department of Mathematics includes coursework in mathematics, statistics and computer science as well as the opportunity to pursue studies in related areas such as business, economics, actuarial science and resource management. Students will work on real world problems arising in industry and become familiar with currently used software. Program requirements are detailed in the SFU Calendar, and a current plan of course work can be found here.
To find out more about Operations Research, contact Dr Zhaosong Lu, Surrey Mathematics Advisor, at zhaosong@sfu.ca, phone 778-782-7426.
Some links providing more information on operations research, as well as career guidance, can be found below.
The Canadian Operations Research Society (CORS)
http://www.cors.ca/
There has been a professional Operations Research (O.R.) society in Canada since 1958. This body, called the Canadian Operational Research Society (CORS), works to advance the theory and practice of O.R. It's primary purpose is to stimulate and promote contacts between people interested in the subject. CORS publishes a quarterly journal called INFOR, jointly with the Canadian Information Processing Society, and Bulletins several times per year.
The Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS)
http://www.informs.org/
INFORMS is the largest professional society in the world for professionals in the field of operations research (O.R.). It was established in 1995 with the merger of the Operations Research Society of America (ORSA) and The Institute of Management Sciences (TIMS).
The OR Society
http://www.theorsociety.com
The OR Society, with members in 53 countries, provides training,
conferences, publications and information to those working in Operational
Research. The Society also provides information about Operational Research
to interested members of the general public.
O.R.: The Science of Better
http://www.orchampions.org/
Resources for practitioners and academics to promote the value of Operations
Research.
High School Operations Research (HSORG)
http://www.hsor.org/
HSORG has developed thirteen instructional materials for use in high school mathematics classrooms. The activities build on the basic math concepts that all
high school students study in algebra and many see in an introductory probability or discrete mathematics course. These activities are regularly presented in workshops for high school math teachers around the United States.
Further information about applied mathematics can be found in the links below.
The Pacific Institute for Mathematical Sciences (PIMS)
PIMS, centred at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C., is a major force in Canada for the promotion of applied mathematics. Their stated mission is to promote all aspects of the mathematical sciences by stimulating, coordinating and facilitating the activities of the mathematical scientists in Canada and by linking them more closely together and with the rest of the world. They host meetings, workshops and summer schools on all topics in mathematics but have been particularly successful in focussing on topics of current relevance in industry. In addition, PIMS hosts annual Industrial Mathematics Modelling Camps for Graduates and Industrial Problem Solving Workshops for students and faculty (see http://www.pims.math.ca/industrial/).
http://www.caims.ca/
The Canadian Applied and Industrial Mathematics Society contributes to the development and maintenance of Applied and Industrial Mathematics in Canada and worldwide. Founded in 1979, CAIMS has a growing presence in industrial, mathematical, scientific and technological circles within and outside Canada. Together with the Applied Mathematics Institute at the University of Alberta, CAIMS publishes the journal, Canadian Applied Mathematics Quarterly.
http://www.mitacs.math.ca
MITACS, with offices in Toronto and Vancouver, is a federally funded Network of Centres of Excellence dedicated to bringing together Canadian industry with leading academic scientists to develop new mathematical tools that will contribute to the welfare and economic development of Canada. The projects in MITACS encompass many of the leading-edge sectors of the Canadian economy. They are organized into five themes; the biomedical sector, the commercial/industrial sector, the manufacturing sector, and the trading/finance sector.
http://www.cecm.sfu.ca/
The Centre for Experimental and Constructive Mathematics (CECM), a Simon Fraser University research centre within the Departments of Mathematics and Statistics and Actuarial Science, was established in November 1993. CECM is located at SFU's Burnaby Campus in British Columbia (Canada). CECM's mandate is to explore and promote the interplay of conventional mathematics with modern computation and communication in the mathematical sciences. The Centre provides a sophisticated but easy to use computational environment for research and collaboration in the mathematical sciences. Its resources are available to all its members and, where possible, to other interested individuals both at Simon Fraser and elsewhere via associate memberships and the Internet.
http://www.irmacs.sfu.ca/withflash.php
The IRMACS Centre, based at Simon Fraser University, is a unique, interdisciplinary research facility that enables collaborative interaction - intellectually, physically and virtually. IRMACS removes traditional boundaries between scientific disciplines and creates a stimulating environment for its researchers. It provides a versatile, computationally sophisticated infrastructure for nearly 200 scientists whose primary laboratory tool is the computer.
http://www.cms.math.ca
The CMS was originally founded in 1945 as the Canadian Mathematical Congress, and incorporated as the Canadian Mathematical Society in 1979. The focus of the CMS is to reach out and form new partners with the users of mathematics in business, governments and universities, educators in the school and college systems as well as other mathematical organizations; and in doing so share experiences, work on collaborative projects and generally enhance the perception and strengthen the profile of mathematics within Canada.
http://www.fields.toronto.edu
The Fields Institute, located in Toronto, is a world-renowned centre for mathematical research activity - a place where mathematicians from Canada and abroad, from business, industry and financial institutions, come together to carry out research and formulate problems of mutual interest. The Institute's mission is to provide a supportive and stimulating environment for mathematical activity in Canada and to help expand the application of mathematics in modern society. Some current activities at the Fields Institute include a weekly seminar on financial mathematics and the conference, Mathematical Challenges in Product Development and Manufacturing.
http://www.umanitoba.ca/institutes/iims/
The IIMS was established by the Faculty of Science to enhance contacts between mathematicians, statisticians, and computer scientists at the University and research scientists in industry. Its stated mission is to; facilitate interaction and collaboration between mathematical scientists and industrial partners, facilitate interaction among mathematical scientists at the university, to conduct research in collaboration with industry on topics motivated by industrial applications, to provide assistance to industry, to involve students in all of the above, to raise the profile of the mathematical sciences in industry in the student population.
http://www.math.ualberta.ca/ami/
The object of the Institute is to promote research in applied mathematics; to provide a focus for individuals who require applied mathematics in their investigations; and to publish an international journal of applied mathematics.
http://www.siam.org
SIAM is North America's leading organization for the promotion of applied mathematics. It is their stated policy to advance the application of mathematics and computational science to science, industry, and society; to promote research that could lead to effective new mathematical and computational methods and techniques for science, engineering, industry, and society; and to provide media for the exchange of information and ideas among mathematicians, engineers, and scientists. SIAM organizes and sponsors dozens of mathematical meetings each year, provides scholarships for undergraduate and graduate students in the mathematical sciences, and publishes journals, newsletters and books on the subject.
http://www.ima.umn.edu
The Institute for Mathematics and its Applications was established in 1982 by the National Science Foundation (USA) and is located at the University of Minnesota. Its mission is to close the gap between theory and its applications. This is accomplished by: identifying the problems and areas of mathematical research needed in other sciences, encouraging the participation of mathematicians in these areas of application by providing settings conducive to the solution of such problems, and by demonstrating that first-rate mathematics can make a real impact in the sciences. The Institute hosts annual and summer programs in applied mathematics and industrial programs, the proceedings of which are published in the IMA Volumes in Mathematics and its Applications (Springer-Verlag).
http://www.cims.nyu.edu
The Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences (at New York University) is one of the world's most renowned centers for research and advanced training in mathematics and computer science. The Institute has long been a leader in mathematical analysis, applied mathematics, and scientific computation, with special emphasis on partial differential equations and their applications.