Operations Research Operations research uses mathematical tools to solve problems of industry and government. The mathematical techniques used fall into the general headings of Optimization and Probabilistic Analysis. Optimization includes such topics as discrete optimization and graph theory, linear programming and constrained nonlinear optimization.
Probabilistic analysis includes the analysis of queues, simulation, and statistics .
Operations researcher range from the very applied to the very theoretical. Theoretical OR's will for the most part ignore the real world and spend their time learning more about the mathematics that underlies the techniques used by the applied practitioners. Theoretical OR's can be indistinguishable from other theoretical mathematicians. There are, of course, many people between these two extremes who work both with theory and applications. It is not necessary to be interested in all areas of operations research to become an operations researcher.