International Federation of Operational Research Societies
Encyclopedia
The International Federation of Operational Research Societies (IFORS) is an umbrella organization for national operations research
societies of over 45 countries from four geographical regions: Asia Pacific, Europe
, North America
, and South America
.
The organization was officially founded in 1959 by three organizations: ORSA (United States), ORS (United Kingdom ), and SOFRO (France), although the first IFORS conference was held in Oxford
in 1957.
The Statutes, set the purpose of the IFORS to be "the development of operational research as a unified science and its advancement in all nations of the world." An interesting aspect of the Statutes is that in formal votings of the Board the voting power of each member society is proportional to the square root
of the qualified membership — thus giving the greater weight of the larger societies but not overwhelming the smaller societies.
Operations research
Operations research is an interdisciplinary mathematical science that focuses on the effective use of technology by organizations...
societies of over 45 countries from four geographical regions: Asia Pacific, Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, and South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
.
The organization was officially founded in 1959 by three organizations: ORSA (United States), ORS (United Kingdom ), and SOFRO (France), although the first IFORS conference was held in Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
in 1957.
The Statutes, set the purpose of the IFORS to be "the development of operational research as a unified science and its advancement in all nations of the world." An interesting aspect of the Statutes is that in formal votings of the Board the voting power of each member society is proportional to the square root
Square root
In mathematics, a square root of a number x is a number r such that r2 = x, or, in other words, a number r whose square is x...
of the qualified membership — thus giving the greater weight of the larger societies but not overwhelming the smaller societies.