CH02: LINEAR PROGRAMMING: GRAPHICAL METHOD Constraints:

Linear programming – a problem-solving technique developed to a. The maximum number of available machine hours is only
help the management in making reliable decisions. 52,000 machine hours for the month.
2x + 3y ≤ 52,000
→ To maximize or minimize some qtys (maximizing b. The maximum Dragon Balls that can be produced and sold
profit/revenue or minimizing cost). during the month is 20,000 units.
→ The objective function & constraints in linear x ≤ 20,000
programming should all be linear. c. The maximum Samurai X that can be produced and sold
→ Using graphical method is limited to decision problems during the month is 15,000 units.
where you can set up two unknown values (X and Y). y ≤ 15,000
d. The number of Dragon Balls and Samurai X to be
produced and sold must not be less than 0 (non-negativity
LIMITATIONS OF LINEAR PROGRAMMING constraint, which is also an implicit constraint that restricts
all variables to be zero or any positive amount only at all
 It is only applicable to problems where the constraints & times).
objective function are linear. x, y ≥ 0
 Factors such as uncertainty, weather conditions etc. are not
taken into consideration. 2x + 3y = 52,000
 There may not be an integer as the solution (e.g., the
number of men required may be a fraction & the nearest x-intercept y-intercept
integer may not be the optimal solution)
2x + 3(0) = 52,000 2(0) + 3y = 52,000
 Only one single objective is dealt w/ while in real life
situations, problem come w/ multi-objectives.
2x/2 = 52,000/2 3y/3 = 52,000/3
 Parameters are assumed to be constants but them may not
be so in reality. x = 26,000 y = 17,333.33

STEPS IN SOLVING The shaded portion

of constraint
MAXIMIZATION/MINIMIZATION
functions:
PROBLEMS USING LINEAR
PROGRAMMING GRAPHICAL METHOD a. (yellow
line) is the lower-left
part of the line,
1. Understand the problem and determine the objective of the b. (blue line)
problem and the decision that you must make. is the left side of the
2. Assign decision variables and determine the constraints. line
3. Formulate the objective function (linear equations) and c. (red line)
constraint function by transcribing the information into is the lower side of
mathematical form. the line
4. Graph the constraint functions in the cartesian plane.
5. Identify the solution of the constraint functions (linear
inequalities) which will be called a feasible region. Step 5: identify the
6. Get the coordinates of corners of the feasible region. You solution of the constraint
may use elimination, substitution, equivalent equation functions (linear
methods, or Cramer’s rule if the coordinates are not clearly inequalities) w/c will be
determinable using the graph. called as feasible region.
7. Substitute the coordinates of the corner points in the (graph)
objective function and choose the point that will give the
optimal solution (maximum or minimum). Step 6:
ILLUSTRATION 1 Eq 1. 2x + 3y = 52,000

Eq 2. x = 20,000

2(20,000) + 3y = 52,000 | 40,000 + 3y = 52,000 | 3y = 52,000 – 40,000

3y/3 = 12,000/3 | y = 4,000 (20,000, 4,000)

The corner points are (0, 17,333.33), (20,000, 0), & (20,000, 4,000).

Eq 1. 2x + 3y = 52,000 | Eq 2. y = 15,000

2x + 3(15,000) = 52,000 | 2x + 45,000 = 52,000 | 2x = 52,000 – 45,000

| 2x/2 = 7,000/2 | x = 3,500 (3,500, 15,000)

The corner points are (0, 15,000), (3,500, 15,000), (20,000, 4,000), &
(20,000, 0)

The optimal
Let X = number of Dragon balls to be produced and sold solution is to
produce 20,000
Y = number of Sumarai X to be produced and sold Dragon balls &
4,000 Sumarai
Maximize Zj = 16x + 18y X to obtain
maximum profit of P392,000

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ILLUSTRATION 2 EXAMPLE:

BagSack Company produces quality-made bags. Based on their Suppose that management specified that at least 12,000 Dragon Balls
analysis and projection for the next month’s operations, they can sell a and at least 12,000 must be manufactured instead of the information on
total of at least 350 units of their two most-known products, BagSack demand. The graph of the solution region may now be constructed to
A (BSA) and BagSack B (BSB). A loyal customer is already committed reflect these new requirements.
to get 125 BSA next month. The other details are presented below:
Constraints: 2x + 3y ≤ 52,000
How many units of BSA and BSB must be produced to obtain the
minimum total production cost? x ≥ 12,000

y ≥ 12,000

Using the origin-test,

we can determine
that:
Let X = number of BSA to be produced and sold
1st constraint:
Y = number of BSB to be produced and sold (yellow line) is the
lower-left part of the
Minimize Zj = 20x + 30y line,

Constraints: x + y ≥ 350 2nd constraint: (blue

line) is the right side
x ≥ 125 of the line.

2x + y ≤ 600 3rd constraint: (red

line) is the lower-left
x + y = 350 2x + y = 600 portion of the line.

x-intercept

x = 350 (350, 0) 2x/2 = 600/2 | x = 300 (300, 0)

y-intercept

y = 350 (0, 350) y = 600 (0, 600)

1st constraint: (yellow line)

is the upper-right part of the
line.

2nd constraint: (blue line) is

the right side of the line.

Feasible region: shaded in

gray.

The optimal solution is to produce 250 BSA and 100 BSB to obtain the
minimum production cost of P8,000.

INFEASIBILITY

→ Means that no solution to the linear programming problem

satisfies all the constraints, including the nonnegativity
conditions.
→ Feasible region does not exist; no points satisfy all the
constraints & nonnegativity conditions simultaneously.

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