Fayoum University

Faculty of Engineering
Mechanical Engineering Department

Operations Research
Lec_1: Introduction to Operations
Research

A s s i s . P ro f. M o h a m m e d A b d e l g ha ny
A s s i s t a n t P ro fe s s o r, I n d u s t r i a l E n g i n e e r i n g ,
Mechanical Engineering Department
E - m a i l / m . a b d e l g h a ny @ fay o u m . e d u . e g
Te l . / + 2 0 1 1 4 4 8 7 6 7 0 2
What is Operations Research ?
• OR is a systematic and analytical approach for decision making and problem solving.

• A branch of applied mathematics that uses techniques and statistics to arrive at

optimal solutions to solve complex problems.

• Typically; determining the Maximum profit, sale, output or efficiency, and Minimum
losses, costs, risks, or time of some objective function.

• Also known as:

• Management Science(MS)
• Decision Science

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What is Operations Research ?

• It is a Process

• It assists Decision Makers

• It has a set of Tools

• It is applicable in many Situations

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What is a Model?
• A model is an abstract representation of reality

• Types of models:
• Mental (arranging furniture)

• Visual (blueprints, road maps)

• Physical/Scale (aerodynamics, buildings)

• Mathematical (what we’ll be studying)

• Simulation

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Benefits of Modelling
• Economical; it is often less costly to analyze decision problems using models.

• Timeliness; models often deliver needed information more quickly than their
real-world counterparts.

• Feasibility; models can be used to do things that would be impossible

otherwise.

• Models give us insight & understanding that improves decision making.

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Example of a Mathematical Model
Profit = Revenue – Expenses

or

Profit = f(Revenue, Expenses)

or

Y = f(X1, X2)

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A Generic Mathematical Model
Y = f(X1, X2, …, Xn)

Where:
▪ Y = dependent variable

▪ Xi = independent variables (inputs having an impact on Y)

▪ f() = function defining the relationship between the Xi & Y

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A Math Optimization Model
Maximize / Minimize Y = f(X1, X2, …, Xn)

• Subject to a set of constraints as:

X1 < 100

X1 < X2

X1 + X2 +…..+ Xn < 200

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A Simple Optimization Example
• You are given a wire of length L, and you are asked to shape it into a rectangle
such that the total enclosed area of the rectangle is maximized.

• Specify a math optimization model for this problem:

1) Decision Variables

2) Objective criteria

3) Constraints

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A Simple Optimization Example
1) Decision Variables:
w = width of the rectangle in inches The optimal solution of this model is
w = h = L/4
h = height of the rectangle in inches

2) Objective criteria:
Maximization of the area of the rectangle Maximize Z = w * h

3) Constraints:
Width of rectangle + Height of rectangle = Half the length of the wire. 2(w + h) = L
Width and height cannot be negative. w≥0 , h≥0

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 Steps in the OR Process
▪ Identification of a problem that exists (or may occur soon)
Observation
in a system or organization.

▪ Problem must be clearly defined, showing its boundaries Definition of the

and interactions with the objectives of the organization. Problem

▪ Development of the mathematical model that describe

Model Construction
the decision variables, objective function and constraints
of the problem. Model Validation
▪ Model is solved using operations research techniques. Model Solution

Model
▪ Actual use of the model or its solution. Implementation

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Abstraction in Model Development

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Use of Computers
• The models of OR need a lot of computations, therefore, the use of computers
becomes necessary.

• Using computers, it’s possible to handle complex

problems requiring large amount of calculations.

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Applications and Case Studies
• Product Mix

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Applications and Case Studies
• Production Scheduling

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Applications and Case Studies
• Vehicle Routing

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Applications and Case Studies
• Timetabling Problems

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Applications and Case Studies
• Flights Crew Assignments

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Applications and Case Studies
• Nurse Rostering

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Applications and Case Studies
• Location Allocation
(Stores/ATMs/Warehouses)

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Applications and Case Studies
• Home Appliance Scheduling

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Applications and Case Studies
• Electricity Generation Mix
70
Hourly Generation-mix (GW)

60
50
40
30
20
10
0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
Time (hours)
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Applications and Case Studies
• Bank Queueing System

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Course Outline
Key components: • Linear Programming Formulation

(a) Modeling/Formulation • Graphical Solution Method

(b) Algorithm • Simplex Methods of LP

(c) Applications • Sensitivity Analysis

• Integer and Binary Programming
• LP Modeling Applications
• Computer Packages Solvers
• Transportation, Assignment, and transshipment models
• Network models

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Grading System
Course Code: IND 223
Course Name: Operations Research

Final Exam 60
Midterm Exam 20
Tutorial
Course Work 10
Lab/oral 10
Lecture (Assignments,
Total Grade 100 Quizzes, Participation,
Attendance)

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Course Reference & Lectures
• Hamdy A. Taha; “Operations Research: An
Introduction”; Pearson.

Scan Now
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 End of Lecture

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