The Hidden History of America's Information Dominance

How Operations Research Built a Superpower

The modern world runs on numbers.

From the split-second stock trades that power global markets to the self-driving cars navigating busy city streets, the decisions driving our society are increasingly made not by humans, but by algorithms. This reliance on data-driven decision-making can be traced back to a relatively unknown field born out of the chaos of war: operations research.

Operations research (OR) is the science of better choices.

OR applies mathematical models, statistics, and algorithms to complex problems in order to uncover the most efficient, cost-effective, and successful paths forward. The roots of OR lie in the logistical nightmares faced by the Allied forces during World War II. Faced with unprecedented challenges of troop deployment, supply chain management, and strategic bombing campaigns, brilliant mathematicians, scientists, and engineers were pulled from academia and industry into a unique collaboration with the military.

While other nations also made strides in a…