The role of modern computing machinery is a rapidly expanding one with interest being shown in a wide variety of fields. In a sense this arrival of the era of mechanized computation has had a twofold effect. Not only has it meant a release from mathematical drudgery, but it has opened the way for the careful formulation of problems heretofore dealt with in only a qualitative manner or by only the grossest approximation to quantitative reasoning. This paper represents one of the growing number of efforts that start with the assumption that computational ability is not the serious limiting condition that it has been. From there it proceeds to try to answer two questions: How should rational business decisions be made? What kind of computer will be necessary to put the computational problem within reach? Operations Research, ISSN 0030-364X, was published as Journal of the Operations Research Society of America from 1952 to 1955 under ISSN 0096-3984.