"This monograph is both a well-prepared report about brand-new results of recent research and a very nicely and carefully written (graduate) textbook on the field of stochastic manufacturing systems.  It is recommendable to operations researchers and system theorists as well as to applied mathematicians." —Optimization "A truly remarkable book, in which Sethi and Zhang have contributed enormously ... Read moreto the area of hierarchical controls in manufacturing. It is strongly recommended to operations researchers, industrial engineers, system and control theorists, applied mathematicians, and specialists in operations management." — Journal of Discrete Event Dynamic Systems "This book is clearly intended for an audience that is well versed in dynamic programming and finite state Markov processes.  It would be well suited for researchers and graduate students in operations research, systems and control theory, and applied mathematics.  Sethi and Zhang provide a very clearly written book that fills a gap in the research on hierarchical control of manufacturing systems by synthesizing research that was previously available only in research journals into a well-organized single volume." — Interfaces "Suresh Sethi has clearly made a series of important extensions to the treatment of hierarchical systems and applications to management science problems, and the book with Zhang is an impressive piece of work." — Herbert A. Simon, Carnegie Mellon University "The book is clearly written for operation researchers, system and control theorists and applied mathematicians." — Mathematical Reviews "Clear descriptions are followed by rigorous mathematical treatments.  The bibliography is extensive and good...The book is a valuable progress report." — Computing Reviews "The book isrecommended to anybody who has an interest in applied stochastic processes or manufacturing problems." — Short Book Reviews Show Less