Information Systems in Management Science—The Use of Mathematics for Management Information Systems. I

In my last column I stated the need, aims and nature of potential theories of management information systems (MIS). In still earlier columns I described how MIS fits into the framework of the systems approach and how the management scientist can contribute. In this and future columns I propose to examine how mathematics can be applied to MIS. But first, what type of mathematics is required? I am reluctantly coming to the conclusion that classical mathematics cannot deal with MIS and we must incur the cost of introducing the much more powerful techniques of contemporary mathematics.