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Operations Research - Introduction (8th, 07) by [Hardcover (2006)]
Operations Research - Introduction (8th, 07) by [Hardcover (2006)]
Hardcover
First published January 1, 1976
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
August 13, 2021
The book starts out well enough but just becomes a slog far too quickly. In an effort to make the prose friendly, inviting, and conversational, Taha manages to speed an absurd amount of time explaining the mechanics of various algorithms while rarely justifying why things are the way they are and replacing a single conditional variable assignment with an entire paragraph. This is most painfully evident in Chapter 6 Section 4, page 238, when Taha says in a verbose paragraph what two or three lines of code would suffice. Heck, he could also use a mathematical case statement and be just as concise.
I think the problem is that Taha didn't know how to write the book he wanted to write: an friendly introduction to Operations Research. His tone persists, but he never trusted the reader to have leveled up with the book. The explanation of iterating the simplex tableau is godawful, when it's simply Gaussian Elimination (taught in Algebra 2 in the States)! Again, in that case, he explains in words what could more clearly be conveyed with mathematical or programming symbols.
This book would be vastly improved if he spent one chapter in the beginning (or relegate it to the appendix as mathematician authors so frequently do) teaching a pseudo-code language and work in that throughout the textbook. Taha already assumes the reader is using AMPL, TORA, or Excel Solver; tie in algorithming with a non-prose language, lest you want to be bogged down in word salad.
If I didn't have to read this for a class I never would have picked up this book. For every interesting item touched, three items were poorly explained and a fourth was banished to the PAID companion website. And did I mention that, apart from quaint historical notes, NONE of linear programming theory is taught until chapter seven, when you're expected to have mastery over intermediate linear algebra, vector spaces, and multidimensional convexity. No thanks to Taha, mind you.
I give two stars because - against his dismal efforts - I have learned from this textbook. I can spot a linear programming problem in the wild. I have new techniques for optimizing solutions that can be framed as such. I understand - at the equation level - how we've automated the capitalism to maximize profit at the expense of all else, and how it impacts business decisions. I have a new take on constraint programming.
Nevertheless, I do not recommend this book. To be real, if you're interested in optimization, read a book that focuses on convex optimization or linear optimization. If you're interested solving with respect to constraints, learn constraint programming; it'll be more general, more impressive, and more interesting for you. Oh and it's taught in a programming language, rather than prose. If you want to be a data scientist that doesn't care about statistics, you don't want to learn a programming language, and you really like MS Excel - despite that, in reality, you're not going to be instructing a computer to do this work in MS Excel (unless you're a fan of >10^5 rows in your excel sheets) at a real company, so you'll need computer programming skill anyway - this is the textbook for you.
If you have to suffer through this for school, do the exercises. Like any math text that doesn't want to say anything meaningful in the chapter contents, they provide the meaning where Taha's verbosity fails. There are a lot of exercises throughout (average chapter has 60+), each helping you come to terms with the extent of the material and its limitation.
Otherwise, don't go anywhere near this book. Save your time. Save your money. Save yourself the frustration. I got this book for less than half-price through a used-book store. I struggled with Pearson to use their platform and get access to the companion site. It doesn't help that this textbook was paired with a poor course offering at my institution.
That is all.
I think the problem is that Taha didn't know how to write the book he wanted to write: an friendly introduction to Operations Research. His tone persists, but he never trusted the reader to have leveled up with the book. The explanation of iterating the simplex tableau is godawful, when it's simply Gaussian Elimination (taught in Algebra 2 in the States)! Again, in that case, he explains in words what could more clearly be conveyed with mathematical or programming symbols.
This book would be vastly improved if he spent one chapter in the beginning (or relegate it to the appendix as mathematician authors so frequently do) teaching a pseudo-code language and work in that throughout the textbook. Taha already assumes the reader is using AMPL, TORA, or Excel Solver; tie in algorithming with a non-prose language, lest you want to be bogged down in word salad.
If I didn't have to read this for a class I never would have picked up this book. For every interesting item touched, three items were poorly explained and a fourth was banished to the PAID companion website. And did I mention that, apart from quaint historical notes, NONE of linear programming theory is taught until chapter seven, when you're expected to have mastery over intermediate linear algebra, vector spaces, and multidimensional convexity. No thanks to Taha, mind you.
I give two stars because - against his dismal efforts - I have learned from this textbook. I can spot a linear programming problem in the wild. I have new techniques for optimizing solutions that can be framed as such. I understand - at the equation level - how we've automated the capitalism to maximize profit at the expense of all else, and how it impacts business decisions. I have a new take on constraint programming.
Nevertheless, I do not recommend this book. To be real, if you're interested in optimization, read a book that focuses on convex optimization or linear optimization. If you're interested solving with respect to constraints, learn constraint programming; it'll be more general, more impressive, and more interesting for you. Oh and it's taught in a programming language, rather than prose. If you want to be a data scientist that doesn't care about statistics, you don't want to learn a programming language, and you really like MS Excel - despite that, in reality, you're not going to be instructing a computer to do this work in MS Excel (unless you're a fan of >10^5 rows in your excel sheets) at a real company, so you'll need computer programming skill anyway - this is the textbook for you.
If you have to suffer through this for school, do the exercises. Like any math text that doesn't want to say anything meaningful in the chapter contents, they provide the meaning where Taha's verbosity fails. There are a lot of exercises throughout (average chapter has 60+), each helping you come to terms with the extent of the material and its limitation.
Otherwise, don't go anywhere near this book. Save your time. Save your money. Save yourself the frustration. I got this book for less than half-price through a used-book store. I struggled with Pearson to use their platform and get access to the companion site. It doesn't help that this textbook was paired with a poor course offering at my institution.
That is all.
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September 16, 2007اشنايي با تحقيق در عمليات
جلد اول
تاليف:حمدي طاها
ترجمه:دكترمحمدباقربازرگان
جلد اول
تاليف:حمدي طاها
ترجمه:دكترمحمدباقربازرگان
October 5, 2007
amazing... i took this subject almost 3 times to get B grade ...fyuhhhh...
March 30, 2012
When it comes to science :) .. this book is great for learning OS :)
January 13, 2013
An amazing book taught by an amazing professor ... I shall never forget you professor Moustafa Amin :)
July 1, 2020
This was my introduction to the field of Operations Research. Extremely clear and intuitive.
September 20, 2023
Decent text that covers OR material pretty well.
It examples could use work and some of its explanations are hard to follow.
However, when comparing it to other OR texts it is much easier to follow even with its discrepancies.
It examples could use work and some of its explanations are hard to follow.
However, when comparing it to other OR texts it is much easier to follow even with its discrepancies.
January 16, 2020
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This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Currently reading
October 24, 2021.
January 5, 2023
Used it as a text book...
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August 27, 2015a detailed optimization solutions guide book
most of my students take it just as mathematics practice book but its a whole science of practical management and resource utilization
student expecting and targeting management prospect in industry of any type should read it
i recommend it for graduate level management courses and even post graduate diplomas and Administrative courses conducted by Government for higher management
most of my students take it just as mathematics practice book but its a whole science of practical management and resource utilization
student expecting and targeting management prospect in industry of any type should read it
i recommend it for graduate level management courses and even post graduate diplomas and Administrative courses conducted by Government for higher management
June 23, 2020
Its one of the best books in mathematics. I was majoring in Mathematics and I was also interested in management. Everybody asked how math helps in management and leadership. And the answer I got in this book. So, it tells how to make effective decisions. There are some other books on OR, but this edition stand out. May be due to Pearson.
October 8, 2007
Good book , with detailed problems for modling LP ,it takes you a while to master problem solving methods , but i believe eventually u do .
March 13, 2010
The best maths book I've ever read. I am not joking. It is easy to read, to understand. Enjoy)
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November 27, 2010lk
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 11, 2012
Very good book for those who wish to understand Operations Research. Some of the examples are very good for explaining the concepts and methodologies.
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May 2, 2013referred this book during my MBA ...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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January 30, 2014n
August 17, 2014
Only skimmed through a few chapters. Great book for those interested in introductory level material on operations research and linear programming.
November 5, 2015
this is a good book to read about operation research so i give this book five star
October 6, 2007
Buku teks paling memikat.
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July 23, 2015i thought this book is a good book
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews