A classification of the philosophical assumptions of management science methods

This paper presents a framework within which to examine and compare the main philosophical assumptions underpinning management science methods. It takes the position that they all have in common the basic mechanism of modelling, but that they differ in terms of what they model (ontology), how they model (epistemology), and why they model (axiology). A wide range of both hard and soft methods and methodologies ace categorised within the paper. One of the purposes of the framework is to assist in the process of multimethodology—that is, combining together several methods in an intervention. In particular, it will assist users in understanding both the implicit or explicit assumptions underlying methods, and their principle aims and purposes, in order to be able to make more informed and critically aware choices when designing particular combinations in practice.     

The development of management sciences/operational research discourses: surveying the trends in the US and the UK

This paper explores the trends in American and British management science/operational research (MS/OR) during the last 25 years. We argue that British MS/OR has developed a soft and systemic approach to MS/OR practice, which has resulted in the emergence of a number of interpretive and critical-oriented methodologies. American MS/OR practice has remained closed to the positivistic discourse. Using a set of keywords and authors’ names associated with the main features of the interpretive and critical MS discourses, we surveyed articles published in three major US MS/OR journals. We compare these results with trends in the UK MS/OR scene. Findings appear to confirm the different directions taken by the MS/OR practice across the Atlantic. The paper posits possible reasons underpinning these differences: firstly, the particular methodological path followed by the British MS/OR, from early ‘soft systems’ applications in the early 1970s to the now well-established ‘Problem Structuring Methods’; and secondly, continuous engagement between the systems and MS/OR British communities (a dialogue that seems not to have occurred in the US). The paper contributes to a reflection on the MS/OR historical developments and contrasts these developments in both countries, two areas of OR significantly under-researched.     

From Optimizing to Learning: A Development of Systems Thinking for the 1990s

In any subject concerned with rational intervention in human affairs, theory must lead to practice; but practice is the source of theory: neither theory nor practice is prime. We can examine this ‘groundless’ relation by asking what intellectual framework F is applied in what methodology M to what area of application A? If we do this for O.R., systems analysis, systems engineering etc., we see that F and M have changed dramatically between the 1950s and the 1980s, yielding the ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ traditions of systems thinking. The ‘hard’ tradition, based on goal seeking, is examined in the work of Simon and contrasted with the ‘soft’ tradition, based on learning, as exemplified in the work of Vickers and the development of soft systems methodology. The two are complementary, but the relation between them is that the ‘hard’ is a special case of ‘soft’ systems thinking. This analysis makes sense of the recent history of management science and helps to prepare us for the 1990s.     

On the absolute Cesàro summability factors of infinite series

The author has established that if {λ _n | is a convex sequence such that the series\(\sum {\frac{{\lambda _n }}{n}} \) is convergent and if Σa _n is bounded [R, logn, 1] with indexk, then\(\sum {a_n \lambda _n } \) is summable |C, 1|k fork>1. The casek=1 of the theorem is due to Pati [3].     

Finite <Emphasis Type="Italic">p</Emphasis>-groups all of whose maximal abelian subgroups are soft

A subgroup A of a p-group G is said to be soft in G if C _G (A) = A and |N _G (A/A| = p. In this paper we determined finite p-groups all of whose maximal abelian subgroups are soft; see Theorem A and Proposition 2.4.     

Composite meromorphic functions and normal families

In this paper, we study the normality of families of meromorphic functions. We prove the result: Let α(z) be a holomorphic function and \({\mathcal{F}}\) a family of meromorphic functions in a domain D, P(z) be a polynomial of degree at least 3. If P ○ f(z) and P ○ g(z) share α(z) IM for each pair \({f(z),g(z)\in \mathcal{F}}\) and one of the following conditions holds: (1) P(z) ? α(z ₀) has at least three distinct zeros for any \({z_{0}\in D}\); (2) There exists \({z_{0}\in D}\) such that P(z) ? α(z ₀) has at most two distinct zeros and α(z) is nonconstant. Assume that β ₀ is a zero of P(z) ? α(z ₀) with multiplicity p and that the multiplicities l and k of zeros of f(z) ? β ₀ and α(z) ? α(z ₀) at z ₀, respectively, satisfy k ≠ lp, for all \({f(z)\in\mathcal{F}}\). Then \({\mathcal{F}}\) is normal in D. In particular, the result is a kind of generalization of the famous Montel criterion.     

On the maximum rank of a real binary form

We show that a real binary form f of degree n has n distinct real roots if and only if for any \({(\alpha,\beta)\in\mathbb{R}^2{\setminus}\{0\}}\) all the forms αf _x + βf _y have n ? 1 distinct real roots. This answers to a question of Comon and Ottaviani (On the typical rank of real binary forms, available at arXiv:math/0909.4865, 2009), and allows to complete their argument to show that f has symmetric rank n if and only if it has n distinct real roots.     

Eulerian graphs and automorphisms of a maximal graph

Let R be a commutative ring with identity. Let Γ(R) denote the maximal graph corresponding to the non-unit elements of R, i.e., Γ(R) is a graph with vertices the non-unit elements of R, where two distinct vertices a and b are adjacent if and only if there is a maximal ideal of R containing both. In this paper, we have shown that, for any finite ring R which is not a field, Γ(R) is a Euler graph if and only if R has odd cardinality. Moreover, for any finite ring R ? R ₁×R ₂× · · · ×R _n, where the R _i is a local ring of cardinality p _i ^αi for all i, and the p _i’s are distinct primes, it is shown that Aut(Γ(R)) is isomorphic to a finite direct product of symmetric groups. We have also proved that clique(G(R)’) = χ(G(R)’) for any semi-local ring R, where G(R)’ denote the comaximal graph associated to R.     

An improved approximation algorithm for the <Emphasis Type="Italic">k</Emphasis>-level facility location problem with soft capacities

We consider the k-level facility location problem with soft capacities (k-LFLPSC). In the k-LFLPSC, each facility i has a soft capacity u _i along with an initial opening cost f _i ≥ 0, i.e., the capacity of facility i is an integer multiple of u _i incurring a cost equals to the corresponding multiple of f _i . We firstly propose a new bifactor (ln(1/β)/(1 ?β),1+2/(1 ?β))-approximation algorithm for the k-level facility location problem (k-LFLP), where β ∈ (0, 1) is a fixed constant. Then, we give a reduction from the k-LFLPSC to the k-LFLP. The reduction together with the above bifactor approximation algorithm for the k-LFLP imply a 5.5053-approximation algorithm for the k-LFLPSC which improves the previous 6-approximation.     

On the Győry-Sárközy-Stewart conjecture in function fields

We consider function field analogues of the conjecture of Gy?ry, Sárközy and Stewart (1996) on the greatest prime divisor of the product (ab+1)(ac+1)(bc+1) for distinct positive integers a, b and c. In particular, we show that, under some natural conditions on rational functions F,G,H ∈ ?(X), the number of distinct zeros and poles of the shifted products FH +1 and GH +1 grows linearly with degH if degH > max{deg F, degG}. We also obtain a version of this result for rational functions over a finite field.     

Widening requirements capture with soft methods: an investigation of hybrid M&amp;S studies in health care

A simulation study consists of several stages: problem formulation, model implementation, verification and validation, experimentation and output data analysis. The application of multiple techniques in the model implementation stage is referred to as hybrid simulation, which we distinguish in this paper from a hybrid M&S study, the latter referring to studies that apply methods and techniques from disciplines like Operations Research (OR), Systems Engineering and Computer Science to one or more stages of a simulation study. Our paper focuses on the contribution of soft OR methods in the problem formulation stage of a simulation study (and by extension a hybrid M&S study). Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) has, arguably, been the most widely used qualitative approach for eliciting system requirements. In this paper, we present Qualitative System Dynamics (QSD), a soft systems method, as having potential use in the problem formulation stage of a healthcare M&S study. The contribution of this paper is thus twofold: (1) a review of the literature in SSM for healthcare operations management and (2) an examination of QSD as an additional soft OR method, complementing (rather than supplanting) existing approaches, which can further aid the understanding of the system in the problem formulation/conceptual modelling stage of a hybrid M&S study.     

On distinct distances among points in general position and other related problems

A set of points in the plane is said to be in general position if no three of them are collinear and no four of them are cocircular. If a point set determines only distinct vectors, it is called parallelogram free. We show that there exist n-element point sets in the plane in general position, and parallelogram free, that determine only O(n ²/√log n) distinct distances. This answers a question of Erd?s, Hickerson and Pach. We then revisit an old problem of Erd?s: given any n points in the plane (or in d dimensions), how many of them can one select so that the distances which are determined are all distinct? — and provide (make explicit) some new bounds in one and two dimensions. Other related distance problems are also discussed.     

Finite Groups with a Given Set of Character Degrees

Let G be a finite group with {1, q, r, qm, q ² m, rqm} as the character degree set, where r and q are distinct primes and m>1 is an integer not divisible by q or r. We show that G is solvable and the derived length of G equals 3.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">X</Emphasis>-decomposable finite groups for <Emphasis Type="Italic">X</Emphasis>={1, <Emphasis Type="Italic">m</Emphasis>, <Emphasis Type="Italic">m</Emphasis> + 1, <Emphasis Type="Italic">m</Emphasis> + 2}

A normal subgroup N of a finite group G is called n-decomposable in G if N is the union of n distinct G-conjugacy classes. We study the structure of nonperfect groups in which every proper nontrivial normal subgroup is m-decomposable, m+1-decomposable, or m+2-decomposable for some positive integer m. Furthermore, we give classification for the soluble case.     

When a line graph associated to annihilating-ideal graph of a lattice is planar or projective

Let (L,∧, ∨) be a finite lattice with a least element 0. AG(L) is an annihilating-ideal graph of L in which the vertex set is the set of all nontrivial ideals of L, and two distinct vertices I and J are adjacent if and only if I ∧ J = 0. We completely characterize all finite lattices L whose line graph associated to an annihilating-ideal graph, denoted by L(AG(L)), is a planar or projective graph.     

Investment evaluation within project management: an information systems perspective

This paper is seeking to make a contribution through exploring project managementfrom the perspective of information systems (IS) investment evaluation.Organizational investments in IS are significant in financial terms and, as aresult, management would appear set to increasingly scrutinize such expenditurethrough tighter forms of decision-making and corporate governance. Inturn, this has increased the motivation of project managers toappropriately evaluate the impact of their IS before,during and after the investments are signed off. Thisperspective is not restricted to any one industry sector, with the authorseeking motivation for a better understanding of investment evaluation within aproject management context. This paper sets out to explain why andhow investment evaluation should be embedded in project managementin order to support an increase in the effectiveness of project management,thereby increasing the prospects of project success. While doing so,the reader will be provided with several touch-points that serve to outline thepurpose and challenges facing those seeking to evaluate their investments. Theauthor starts off with a contextualization of project management and its phasedactivities, such that a clear understanding of the contribution that investmentevaluation plays within robust project management can be demonstrated. Then, theperspective of investment versus consumption is presented, groundedwithin the strategic grid, which classifies information technology-basedprojects as either: strategic, turnaround, factory or support. The author thenpresents evaluation as a life-cycle process, where evaluation is classified intofour distinctive phases, namely ex-ante evaluation, metrics,command and control and ex-post evaluation, in doing so,emphasizing that evaluation needs to be seen as a process that runs through thelife cycle of a project rather than as a hurdle that needs to be cleared toensure financial approval.     

Nonsolvable Groups with no Prime Dividing Four Character Degrees

Given a finite group G, we say that G has property \(\mathcal P_{k}\) if every set of k distinct irreducible character degrees of G is setwise relatively prime. In this paper, we show that if G is a finite nonsolvable group satisfying \(\mathcal P_{4}, \)then G has at most 8 distinct character degrees. Combining with work of D. Benjamin on finite solvable groups, we deduce that a finite group G has at most 9 distinct character degrees if G has property \(\mathcal P_{4}\) and this bound is sharp.     

Functional estimation of activity criticality indices and sensitivity analysis of expected project completion time

For a PERT network, a new method is developed for estimating the criticality index of activity i (ACI _i ) as a function of the expected duration of activity i (μ _i ) and for the sensitivity analysis of the expected project completion time (μ _T ) with respect to μ _i . The proposed method evaluates the frequency of activity i being on the critical path, and thereby its ACI _i using Monte Carlo simulation or a Taguchi orthogonal array experiment at several values of μ _i , fits a logistic regression model for estimating ACI _i as a function of μ _i , and then, using the estimated ACI _i function, evaluates the amount of change in μ _T when μ _i is changed by a given amount. Unlike the previous works, the proposed method models ACI _i as a nonlinear (ie, logistic) function of μ _i , which can be used to estimate the amount of change in μ _T for a variety of changes in μ _i . Computational results indicate that the performance of the proposed method is comparable to that of direct Monte Carlo simulation.     

Immersed Hypersurfaces in the Unit Sphere S^m＋1 with Constant Blaschke Eigenvalues

For an immersed submanifold x ： M^m→ Sn in the unit sphere S^n without umbilics, an eigenvalue of the Blaschke tensor of x is called a Blaschke eigenvalue of x. It is interesting to determine all hypersurfaces in Sn with constant Blaschke eigenvalues. In this paper, we are able to classify all immersed hypersurfaces in S^m＋1 with vanishing MSbius form and constant Blaschke eigenvalues, in case （1） x has exact two distinct Blaschke eigenvalues, or （2） m = 3. With these classifications, some interesting examples are also presented.     

Classification of finite commutative rings with planar,toroidal, and projective line graphs associated with Jacobson graphs

Let R be a commutative ring with nonzero identity and J(R) be the Jacobson radical of R. The Jacobson graph of R, denoted by J _R , is a graph with vertex-set R J(R), such that two distinct vertices a and b in R J(R) are adjacent if and only if 1 ? ab is not a unit of R. Also, the line graph of the Jacobson graph is denoted by L(J _R ). In this paper, we characterize all finite commutative rings R such that the graphs L(J _R ) are planar, toroidal or projective.