Connections Between Operational Research and Decision Processes

Dear Colleagues,

In a data-driven world, decision-making has become a multidisciplinary challenge beyond traditional analytical boundaries. Operational research (OR), the discipline of applying advanced analytical methods to aid better decision-making, has always been intrinsically linked to decision processes. However, recent developments in computational techniques, data analytics, behavioural science, and artificial intelligence have deepened and diversified these connections.

This Special Issue of Mathematics aims to explore and highlight the theoretical, methodological, and practical intersections between OR and decision sciences.

The Issue seeks to help decision-makers promote integrated perspectives that advance our understanding of complex decision environments by bridging mathematical modelling with behavioural and computational approaches.

Aims of the Special Issue

The main objective of the Issue is to provide a platform for research that

• Clarifies and strengthens the theoretical links between operational research methods and formal models of decision processes;
• Presents novel mathematical frameworks that support rational and multi-criteria decision-making under uncertainty, risk, and complexity;
• Integrates quantitative and qualitative approaches for decision support in organisational, industrial, environmental, and societal contexts;
• Encourages interdisciplinary dialogue between mathematicians, OR specialists, decision scientists, economists, and cognitive researchers.

By combining rigorous mathematical modelling with a deeper understanding of how decisions are made in practice, this Issue aspires to contribute to both the science and the art of decision-making.

Theoretical and Methodological Connections

• Operational research and decision processes are united by a shared goal: improving the quality of decisions. However, they differ in perspective and emphasis.
• Operational research traditionally focuses on optimisation, simulation, and analytical modelling, providing quantitative tools to identify optimal or near-optimal solutions.
• Decision processes, on the other hand, emphasise the cognitive, behavioural, and procedural aspects of how individuals and organisations actually make decisions.

Recent advances demonstrate that integrating these views yields substantial benefits. For example.

• Multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) connects mathematical optimisation with human value systems;
• Game theory and behavioural OR reveal how strategic and psychological factors affect decision outcomes;
• Data-driven OR and AI-based decision support systems incorporate machine learning and predictive modelling into traditional OR frameworks;
• Fuzzy and stochastic models reflect uncertainty and ambiguity in real-world decision contexts.

These synergies enhance model realism and increase the acceptance and usability of analytical results in practice.

Areas of Application

The link between operations research methods and decision-making processes is evident in many fields, including

• Sustainable development and environmental policies, where complex trade-offs require robust multi-criteria models;
• The public sector and governance, where participatory decision-making models integrate stakeholder preferences and policy objectives;
• Finance and risk management, where probabilistic modelling is combined with behavioural analysis of risk perception;
• Transportation and logistics, where dynamic optimisation and human participation in decision-making improve operational efficiency;
• Healthcare systems, where resource allocation and treatment decisions are subject to uncertainty and ethical considerations.

Expected Contributions

Authors are invited to submit original scientific articles, reviews, and case studies that

• Develop new mathematical and algorithmic tools to support decision making;
• Propose integrated frameworks that bridge operations research and decision science;
• Analyse real-world decision-making problems using hybrid quantitative and qualitative methods;
• Examine cognitive, behavioural, and ethical aspects of decision-making modelling;
• Propose pedagogical or methodological perspectives that contribute to disseminating best practices in decision-based operations research.

Conclusions

The increasing complexity of modern decision-making environments requires a deeper synthesis of operations research and decision-making methods. The articles collected in this Special Issue will demonstrate how mathematics can bridge the gap between theory and practice and provide structured, transparent, and adaptive methods for decision-making in vague and dynamically changing environments.

As Guest Editors, we hope this collection will inspire future research that continues to strengthen the intellectual and practical ties between OR and decision sciences and will serve as a valuable resource for scholars and practitioners striving to enhance the quality of decisions in all domains.

Dr. Violeta Šniokienė
Prof. Dr. Zenonas Turskis
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Mathematics is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• operational research
• decision processes
• multi-criteria decision analysis
• game theory
• fuzzy and stochastic models