The role of statistics in operations research: Some personal reflections

Statistics has a very important role to play in Operations Research (OR), yet many standard texts relegate it to a subordinate position behind, for example, deterministic optimisation techniques. I argue in this paper that statistics, and statistical thinking, are essential for the OR practitioner operating in the real, uncertain world. Using many examples from my own experience, I demonstrate that statistics is very useful, and indeed essential, when tackling real-world OR problems. Many of these examples have not been published before and will therefore hopefully be of interest in themselves, as well as illustrations of the points I wish to make

Book Review: "Hidden Markov Models for Time Series: An Introduction using R"

Hidden Markov Models for Time Series: An Introduction using Rby Walter Zucchini and Iain L. MacDonald. Chapman & Hall (CRC Press), 200

How healthy are the rhinoceros populations in the Hluhluwe-iMfolosi Park?

<p>Arising from a study conducted in the Hluhluwe-iMfolosi Park by the author in the late nineties, a method is proposed for improving the estimate of the size of a wildlife population by combining data from current and past surveys. The method is based on a simple state space model which takes into account the (unknown) birth rate in the population and all known losses (mortalities and relocations) and gains (introductions) in the population between successive surveys, as well as the errors in the survey estimates. The method is applied to the White- and Black Rhinoceros populations in the Hluhluwe-iMfolosi Park and tentative conclusions are drawn on the health of these two populations.</p