INFORMS’ first Blog Challenge Results

INFORMS’ first Blog Challenge was a hit! We received 14 entries on the topic of O.R. and the Holidays. As you might suspect, the travelling salesman problem was noted, with Santa needing to make his marathon delivery to all of the good little girls and boys of O.R. However, the O.R. suggestions for holiday success were not limited to Santa, with the elves receiving tips on inventory optimization, making the most of the family vacation with revenue management, maximizing baking production, a mixing model for picking the teams for the office bowling party, and finding the “perfect” parking spot at the mall. Rounding out the bunch was an interview with “Dr. O.R. Field” about her New Year’s Resolutions. Thanks to everyone who contributed, and a Happy New Year to all.

So here they are, in no particular order.

The Joy of Baking (Optimally), Tallys Yunes
OR and … Parking?? Paul Rubin
Help Wanted: Elves with OR Background, Patricia Randall
Graph Coloring Problems Over the Holiday, Laura McLay
Santa’s Problem, Capgemini OR Team
OR and the holidays, David Smith
A Professor who Loves to Bake and Give Out Cookies, Anna Nagurney
Rogo Puzzle and Operations Research, Niclola Petty
Holiday Buying Season and Inventory Optimization, Michael Watson
Happy Holidays thanks to OR, John Poppelaars
New Year’s Resolutions from Dr. O.R. Field, Michael Trick
A Very Operations Christmas, John Angelis
Santa Claus- A Traveling Salesman Problem, Phillip Mah
Christmas Company Competition Problem: Mixing Teams, Hakan Kjellerstrand

Have a topic you would like to blog on or read about? Send the topic to graphics@mail.informs.org. We’d love to hear your ideas.

Topic for January 2011: O.R. and Politics