La Nova Scientia: Rewriting the History of Operational Research

2017/03/08 by Roberto Rossi, Rossi, Roberto
Mathematics · Social Sciences · #FOS: Mathematics #History and Overview (math.HO) #Intelligence, Security, War Strategy #Military History and Strategy #The Impact of Diversity and Innovation on Society #math.HO

paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.1703.03005

openalex publication_date 2017/03/08 · arxiv created 2017/08/06 · arxiv updated 2017/08/08 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28

Abstract

The accepted lore is that Operational Research traces its roots back to the First and Second World Wars, when scientific research was used to improve military operations. In this essay we provide a different perspective on the origins of Operational Research by arguing that these are deeply intertwined with the impressive technological advances in Western Europe between the fifteenth and the sixteenth centuries.

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