Creativity in MS/OR: Creative Thinking, A Basis for MS/OR Problem Solving

Gene Woolsey and others have taught us that mathematics and models are not always necessary to solve important problems in MS/OR. Often, the best solutions are novel and unusual—that is, they are creative. In teaching undergraduates, I found that learning the principles of creative thinking helped students to address unstructured cases and to apply the traditional operations research problem-solving techniques. I also find these principles helpful in explaining, understanding, and enhancing what I do in teaching, research, and consulting. In these columns, I plan to discuss many principles of creative thinking, methods for becoming more creative, and ways to enhance problem-solving skills. I invite you to submit your examples, comments, and perspectives on creativity.