Markov Decision Processes (MDPs) model problems of sequential decision-making under uncertainty. They have been studied and applied extensively. Nonetheless, there are two major barriers that still hinder the applicability of MDPs to many more practical decision making problems: * The decision...

In this thesis, we focus on oligopolistic markets for a single perishable product, where firms compete by setting prices (Bertrand competition) or by allocating quantities (Cournot competition) dynamically over a finite selling horizon. The price-demand relationship is modeled as a parametric...

After reviewing prevalent approaches to the modeling pandemic influenza transmission, we present a simple distributional model that captures the most significant population attributes that alter the dynamics of the outbreak. We describe how diversities in activity, susceptibility and infectivity...

Annual influenza outbreaks incur great expenses in both human and monetary terms, and billions of dollars are being allocated for influenza pandemic preparedness in an attempt to avert even greater potential losses. Vaccination is a primary weapon for fighting influenza outbreaks. The influenza...

Large population health insurance claims databases together with operations research and data mining methods have the potential of significantly impacting health care management. In this thesis we research how claims data can be utilized in three important areas of health care and medicine and...

Traditional inventory models focus on effective replenishment strategies and typically assume that a commodity's price is exogenously determined. In recent years, however, a number of industries have used innovative pricing strategies to manage their inventory effectively. These developments...

In a multi-product market, if one product stocks out, consumers may substitute to competing products. In this thesis, we use an axiomatic approach to characterize a price-dependent demand substitution rule, and provide a sufficient and necessary condition for demand models where our demand...

Efficient allocation of scarce resources in networks is an important problem worldwide. In this thesis, we focus on resource allocation problems in a network of congested airports. The increasing demand for access to the world's major commercial airports combined with the limited operational...

The emergence of less restricted fare structures in the airline industry reduced the capability of airlines to segment demand through restrictions such as Saturday night minimum stay, advance purchase, non-refundability, and cancellation fees. As a result, new forecasting techniques such as...

This thesis is motivated by the desire to estimate air traffic delays at airports under a range of assumptions about the predictability of (a) inter-arrival times of demands (arrivals and departures) and (b) service times of aircraft movements (landings and takeoffs). It consists of two main...