All class policies subject to change at instructor's discretion.

Who, What, Where, and When

• Time: Tuesday and Thursday, Sixth period (4:30-5:50).
• Place: Beck 213. From time to time the class will meet in the Levin building computer lab.
• Instructor: Adi Ben-Israel
• E-mail: bisrael@rutcor.rutgers.edu
• Class website: ftp://rutcor.rutgers.edu/~bisrael/386.html.
  See also:
  • http://rbs.rutgers.edu/~eckstein/om.html
  • http://rbs.rutgers.edu/~om386)
• Office: 249 J.H. Levin Building, Livingston Campus
• Telephone: 732-445-3243 during office hour, 732-445-5631 at all other times.
• Office hours: Tuesday and Thursday, 3:00-4:00 pm, and by appointment.
• Text: Practical Management Science: Spreadsheet Modeling and Applications, by Wayne L. Winston and S. Christian Albright.
• Software: Excel, Solver, and special software provided with the textbook, all available at the lab. Towards the end of the course, we will use the "@Risk" simulation package, also available in the lab.
• First meeting: Tuesday, January 19.
• Common final exam: Friday, May 7, 4:00-7:00 PM, place to be announced.
• Other Sections All other sections will use the same textbook, follow the same basic curriculum, and take the same final exam,

Course Content

This "mindset" is called Management Science (MS) or Operations Research (OR). Basically, the MS/OR approach involves forming (imperfect) mathematical models of business situations, analyzing these models, and then deciding on some "optimal" course of action.

MS/OR is most helpful in situations where quantitative information is plentiful and there are relatively few intangible or psychological considerations, making it easier to produce accurate mathematical models. It is also particularly beneficial when the decision or planning situation is complex, making it hard for managers to simply "eyeball" the decision or "fly by the seat of their pants." Such situations arise most often at the operational level of the management hierarchy, and progressively less often at the higher levels (tactical and strategic). Hence the application to operations management. "Operations management" courses at some other schools may deal more with qualitative generalities of managing business operations; this course basically focuses on the quantitative tools needed for such management.

General Information

• Attendance: Regular attendance is essential and will be monitored. In severe weather, you can monitor WCTC AM 1450 or Rutgers INFO AM 530 for possible university closing information.
• Questions: Are encouraged during class and office hours.
• Exams: There will be two in-class midterm exams and a final. All exams will be closed book. For the midterms, you can bring a one-page "cram sheet" in your own handwriting (both sides of the paper are allowed). A two-page cram sheet (also in your own handwriting, both sides of the paper allowed) is permitted for the final. All sections of this course will have a common final exam, given in the "M" common exam period (Friday, May 7, 4:00-7:00PM). Please figure out your final exam schedule NOW to avoid conflicts. The final distribution of letter grades will depend on the section's final exam performance, as compared to other sections. The final will be "cumulative", covering all topics in the course.
• Homework: I am planning on 10 homework assignments. Typically, homework assignments will be handed out on Tuesday, and due in class the following Tuesday. There will be no credit for late homework (although I may make exceptions in documented cases of genuine medical or family emergency). I am planning to drop your lowest assignment score in computing your overall homework performance, so your semester homework grade will probably be based on your best 9 scores. However, I would definitely recommend against trying to skip a homework early in the term. Most homework problems will involve computer work.
• Collaboration and Cheating: You are allowed to seek or give help to other students on homework assignments. However, unless I instruct otherwise, you must actually work through each problem yourself and hand in your own work.  Multiple students handing in copies of identical computer printouts is not permitted. If you have worked with others on an assignment, list them all on the first page of your assignment. No collaboration of any kind is permitted on exams. Violations of these policies will be considered cheating and dealt with harshly.
• Computer Lab: If you have not yet been introduced to the School of Business Microcomputer Facility (in the Levin building basement), it is your responsibility to take the required introductory seminar and obtain an account before the second class meeting. Contact the lab at (732) 445-2328.
• Using your own computer: If it has Excel and the Solver add-in installed, you can use your own computer instead of the lab machines. However, all software installation and compatibility problems are strictly your own responsibility. Late in the class, we will use the "@Risk"; Palisade has a 10-day trial version of the software which can be downloaded free, and you are also eligible to buy the software at a substantial discount. If your computer uses a different operating system than the lab, or a different version of  Excel, it is your responsibility to figure out the differences.
• Grading: No letter grades are assigned to individual assignments or exams. Your course grade will be based on your aggregate score, calculated by combining your scores on all written class work.
• 20% Midterm 1
• 20% Midterm 2
• 35% Final
• 25% Homework (probably excluding your worst score)
I then rank students according to these aggregate scores, and assign grades by class rank, with some subjective judgement applied to borderline cases. Thus, all grades are "curved" together at the end of the course. Homework scores in this class have historically tended to be in the 90's and vary much less than exam scores. In the past, getting an above-average grade (A or B+) in the class requires doing at least 9 of the 10 homeworks and getting a suitably above-average grade on at least two of the exams.

I reserve the right to make adjustments to the weightings above. In particular, I might include an adjustment for class participation.

Projected Syllabus

I am planning for individual classes and homeworks to follow the schedule below, although changes and adjustments are possible.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

				Homework	Homework	Reading
Class #	Date		Topic	Given	Due	(Book Chapters)
1	19-Jan	Tuesday	Administrative details, overview, example LP	1 (Formulation)
2	21-Jan	Thursday	Excel review, solving LP's in Excel [In Lab]			1, 2 (except appendix)
3	26-Jan	Tuesday	Geometry of LP	2 (LP Geometry)	1
4	28-Jan	Thursday	Finish geometry, linear model rules, LP examples			3 (except 3.8)
5	2-Feb	Tuesday	LP examples (more complicated)	3 (LP)	2
6	4-Feb	Thursday	LP examples (dynamic)
7	9-Feb	Tuesday	LP examples (blending)	4 (LP)	3
8	11-Feb	Thursday	LP examples (AON project scheduling)
9	16-Feb	Tuesday	LP examples (mixed) [End of Unit 1]	5 (LP)	4
10	18-Feb	Thursday	Transportation, assignment			4.1-4.4, 4.6
11	23-Feb	Tuesday	Network concepts, min-cost flow		5
12	25-Feb	Thursday	Unit 1 Midterm (LP)
13	2-Mar	Tuesday	More networks, combined network/production	6 (Networks)
14	4-Mar	Thursday	Review midterm, combined network/production
15	9-Mar	Tuesday	IP (knapsack and related)		6	5
--	11-Mar	Thursday	Spring Break
--	16-Mar	Tuesday	Spring Break
16	18-Mar	Thursday	IP (0/1 variables, logic constraints)
17	23-Mar	Tuesday	IP (fixed charge)	7 (IP)
18	25-Mar	Thursday	IP (set covering, misc)
19	30-Mar	Tuesday	IP (warehouse location) [End of Unit 2]	8 (IP)	7
20	1-Apr	Thursday	Simulation (Concepts and first static example)			12.1-12.4, 13
21	6-Apr	Tuesday	Static Simulation		8
22	8-Apr	Thursday	Unit 2 Midterm
23	13-Apr	Tuesday	Static simulation [In lab]	9 (Simulation)
24	15-Apr	Thursday	Review midterm, simulating continuous variables
25	20-Apr	Tuesday	Dynamic Simulation	10 (Simulation)	9
26	22-Apr	Thursday	Dynamic Simulation
27	27-Apr	Tuesday	Dynamic Simulation
28	29-Apr	Thursday	Review for final		10
0	7-May	Friday	Final Exam, 4-7 PM