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Michael J. Armstrong

Associate professor of operations research, Brock University

I work in the field of operations research. This specialty uses mathematical models to analyze and improve the performance of systems in business and the public sector. My current research involves models of military combat. These models can help us understand issues in international security studies and in military history. I have analyzed missile warfare at sea (e.g., anti-ship cruise missiles), rocket defenses on land (e.g., Israel's Iron Dome), and key battles in history (e.g., Balaclava, Gettysburg, and Coral Sea).

I have also collaborated on research to help university students make better decisions about their studies. We have examined how students respond to feedback about their grades, and how well they perform when repeating courses.

I have been a Fulbright visiting research chair at Norwich University, and a visiting professor at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School.

Most of my research papers are available on Brock University's Digital Repository site.
http://dr.library.brocku.ca/handle/10464/6819

I teach courses in quality improvement, game theory, and operations management. I hold several professional certifications from the American Society for Quality.

Rewarding your loyalty with points

Dec 16, 2018 13:06 pm UTC| Insights & Views Economy

How many points have you collected so far this holiday shopping season? Like millions of consumers, you likely belong to at least one loyalty rewards program. These programs give you points, miles or some virtual...

Israel-Gaza brinkmanship slips over the brink

Nov 26, 2018 16:55 pm UTC| Insights & Views

The Israeli-Gazan conflict flared up dramatically recently when Gaza militants fired more than 460 rockets and mortar shells into Israel. Iron Dome interceptors shot down about 100 of the projectiles, while most of the...

Legal cannabis vs. black market: Can it compete?

Oct 17, 2018 21:57 pm UTC| Insights & Views Law

The Oct. 17 launch of legal recreational cannabis in Canada brings many challenges. Retailers are now worrying about possible product shortages or web site glitches. Governments are still debating how to handle amnesties,...

Cannabis with your coffee? Ontario could have thousands of pot retailers

Sep 18, 2018 12:37 pm UTC| Insights & Views Health

Legalized cannabis is just a month away, but Ontario wont have any cannabis stores until April. Thats due to the provinces recent decision to have cannabis outlets run by businesses rather than a government agency,...

Ontario uproots its plans for selling weed

Aug 27, 2018 15:27 pm UTC| Insights & Views Health

Ontario has announced big changes to its recreational cannabis retail plan. Government-owned Ontario Cannabis Retail Corporation (OCRC) will still sell online, but will no longer open physical stores. Instead, businesses...

Better borrowing boosts start-ups

Jul 24, 2018 06:26 am UTC| Insights & Views Business

Starting a new business can be satisfying but stressful. Among other tasks, entrepreneurs must raise enough funds for their ventures. But it turns out the type of funding matters, not just the amount. Start-ups funded via...

Provinces prepare to push pot

Jul 12, 2018 06:19 am UTC| Insights & Views

Cannabis retailing isnt Doug Fords top priority as Ontarios new premier. But its on his agenda. As he said in June: The stated goal … is to ensure that we can tackle the illegal market. To pursue that goal, Ontario...

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Economy

Trump, Xi Focus on Trade and AI at White House Summit

U.S. President Donald Trump welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping to the White House on Thursday, opening high-level talks focused on trade, artificial intelligence, security and broader U.S.-China relations. Xis trip...

Oil Prices Jump 3% as Houthi Attack Revives Supply Fears

Oil prices surged about 3% on Thursday, with Brent crude reaching a one-week high after a Houthi missile attack on Saudi Arabia renewed concerns over Middle East supply disruptions. Gains eased later as reports emerged...

Wall Street Ends Flat as Oil, Treasury Yields and Fed Jitters Rattle Markets

Wall Street finished mostly unchanged on Thursday after a volatile session driven by surging oil prices, rising U.S. Treasury yields and increasingly hawkish Federal Reserve signals. The SP 500 closed nearly flat at...

Fed Unveils Stablecoin Rules Under GENIUS Act

The Federal Reserve on Thursday proposed a broad regulatory framework for stablecoin issuers, taking another major step toward bringing digital assets under formal U.S. banking oversight and implementing the GENIUS Act...

US Stock Futures Fall as Treasury Yields Surge Ahead of Trump-Xi Summit

U.S. stock futures fell Thursday as rising Treasury yields and higher oil prices pressured Wall Street, while investors prepared for a closely watched meeting between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi...

Politics

France Defends Netanyahu Airspace Clearance Despite ICC Warrant

France defended its decision to allow Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus plane to cross French airspace on Thursday as he traveled to New York for the United Nations General Assembly, despite an International...

US Senate Rejects Iran War Powers Resolution in 50-49 Vote

The U.S. Senate narrowly rejected a resolution seeking to require President Donald Trump to end U.S. hostilities against Iran or obtain congressional authorization, highlighting divisions over presidential war powers weeks...

Kremlin Says No Decision Yet on Putin-Trump December Summit

The Kremlin said Thursday that Russia has not yet decided whether President Vladimir Putin will attend a December G20 meeting in Miami, where a potential summit with U.S. President Donald Trump could take place. Moscow...

OpenAI Agent Breaches Australia Medicare Data Portal

An OpenAI artificial intelligence agent gained unauthorized access to an Australian government Medicare statistics portal, prompting a federal investigation and renewed concerns about the cybersecurity risks posed by...

Mexico-US Trade Talks Delayed to October as Tariff Negotiations Continue

The fourth round of Mexico-US trade talks is unlikely to take place next week and could be postponed until October as both countries navigate a busy diplomatic schedule, according to a senior Mexican trade official. Luis...

Science

Blue Origin New Glenn Explosion Could Delay Launch Operations Until 2028

Blue Origin is facing a significant setback after a dramatic explosion involving its New Glenn rocket severely damaged a launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. According to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, repairs to the...

Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Launch Pad Test, Delaying Space Ambitions

Blue Origin suffered a major setback after its uncrewed New Glenn rocket exploded during a launch pad test in Florida on Thursday, raising new challenges for Jeff Bezos space company as it competes with Elon Musks SpaceX...

SpaceX Delays Starship V3 Launch Ahead of Potential Record IPO

SpaceX on Thursday postponed the highly anticipated launch of its 12th Starship rocket test from Texas after technical issues interrupted the final countdown. The company now plans to attempt the Starship V3 launch again...

Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

Technology

Oracle Shares Fall as New Mexico AI Data Center Faces Power Delays

Oracle Corp. shares fell after reports that the technology giant is seeking protection from financial obligations linked to its massive artificial intelligence data center project in New Mexico amid regulatory and...

BlackBerry Shares Rise as Q2 Earnings, Revenue Beat Estimates

BlackBerry shares climbed more than 2% in premarket trading Thursday after the cybersecurity and software company reported stronger-than-expected second-quarter results and issued an upbeat full-year revenue outlook....

Apple Extends Qualcomm Patent Licensing Deal

Qualcomm said Thursday that Apple has extended its patent-licensing agreement with the U.S. chip designer, maintaining a key part of their relationship even as the iPhone maker works to reduce its dependence on Qualcomm...

Tencent Launches TenPayGo Payment App for Foreign Tourists in China

Tencent has launched TenPayGo, a new mobile payment app designed to make digital transactions easier for international travelers visiting China, as the technology giant looks to benefit from growing inbound tourism ahead...

China’s ‘Lipstick King’ Says AI Won’t Replace Livestream Hosts

Chinas livestream shopping industry is entering a slower phase, but Li Jiaqi, the influential presenter known as the Lipstick King, believes artificial intelligence will complement rather than replace human hosts. Li, who...