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Linear Programming - Introduction

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Getnet Muhabaw
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30 views

Linear Programming - Introduction

Uploaded by

Getnet Muhabaw
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Linear programming is the process of taking


various linear inequalities relating to some
situation, and finding the "best" value obtainable Affordable
under those conditions. A typical example would
be taking the limitations of materials and labor,
tutors for hire
and then determining the "best" production levels
for maximal profits under those conditions. algebra
In "real life", linear programming is part of a very
important area of mathematics called  FIND TUTORS
"optimization techniques". This field of study (or
at least the applied results of it) are used every
day in the organization and allocation of
resources. These "real life" systems can have (https://www.mathhelp.com/?
dozens or hundreds of variables, or more. In utm_campaign=purplemath&utm_source=linprog.htm&utm_medium=banner)
algebra, though, you'll only work with the simple
(and graphable) two-variable linear case.

The general process for solving linear-programming exercises is to graph the inequalities (called the
"constraints") to form a walled-off area on the x,y-plane (called the "feasibility region"). Then you figure
out the coordinates of the corners of this feasibility region (that is, you find the intersection points of the
various pairs of lines), and test these corner points in the formula (called the "optimization equation") for
which you're trying to find the highest or lowest value.

Find the maximal and minimal value of z = 3x + 4y subject to the following constraints:

The three inequalities in the curly braces are the constraints. The area of the plane that they
mark off will be the feasibility region. The formula "z = 3x + 4y" is the optimization
equation. I need to find the (x, y) corner points of the feasibility region that return the
largest and smallest values of z.

My first step is to solve each inequality for the more-easily graphed equivalent forms:

It's easy to graph the system (syslneq.htm):   Copyright © Elizabeth Stapel 2006-2011 All Rights Reserved
To find the corner points -- which aren't always clear from the graph -- I'll pair the lines (thus
forming a system of linear equations (systlin1.htm)) and solve:

y = –( 1/2 )x + 7 y = –( 1/2 )x + 7 y = 3x
y = 3x y=x–2 y=x–2

–( 1/2 )x + 7 = x –
–( 1/2 )x + 7 = 3x
2 3x = x – 2
–x + 14 = 6x 2x = –2
–x + 14 = 2x – 4
14 = 7x x = –1
18 = 3x
2=x
6=x
y = 3(–1) = –3
y = 3(2) = 6
y = (6) – 2 = 4
corner point at (2, corner point at (6, corner pt. at (–1, –
6) 4) 3)

So the corner points are (2, 6), (6, 4), and (–1, –3).
Somebody really smart proved that, for linear systems like this, the maximum and minimum
values of the optimization equation will always be on the corners of the feasibility region.
So, to find the solution to this exercise, I only need to plug these three points into "z = 3x +
4y".

(2, 6):      z = 3(2)   + 4(6)   =   6 + 24 =   30


(6, 4):      z = 3(6)   + 4(4)   = 18 + 16 =   34
(–1, –3):  z = 3(–1) + 4(–3) = –3 – 12 = –15

Then the maximum of z = 34 occurs at (6, 4),


and the minimum of z = –15 occurs at (–1, –3).

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Cite this article as: Stapel, Elizabeth. "Linear Programming: Introduction." Purplemath. Available from
    https://www.purplemath.com/modules/linprog.htm. Accessed 28 February 2021
 
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