Math 20IB Linear Programming Notes

Used to find a maximum or minimum value of a function where the constraint on the variables form a system
of equations.

Steps for solving:

1. Define variables.
2. Write constraints (restrictions) as a system of inequalities.
3. Graph the system. Find the vertices of the polygon formed.
Vertex Theorem: The maximum or minimum value of 𝑓(𝑥, 𝑦) = 𝑎𝑥 + 𝑏𝑦 + 𝑐, defined for a polygonal
convex set occurs at a vertex of the polygon.
4. Write an expression to be maximized or minimized.
5. Sub in the values from the vertices to the equation in step 4.
6. Choose the largest or smallest value.

Example #1. Find the maximal and minimal value of 𝑧 = 3𝑥 + 4𝑦 subject to the following constraints:
𝑥 + 2𝑦 ≤ 14
{ 3𝑥 − 𝑦 ≥ 0
𝑥−𝑦 ≤ 2
Example #2.

A farmer has a choice of planting a combination of two different crops on 20 acres of land. For crop A, seed
costs $120 per acre, and for crop B, seed costs $200 per acre. Government restrictions limit acreage of crop A
to 15 acres, but do not limit crop B. Crop A will take 15 hours of labour per acre at a cost of $5.60 per hour,
and crop B will require 10 hours of labour at $5.00 per hour. If the expected income from crop A is $600 per
acre and from crop B is $520 per acre, how should the 20 acres be apportioned between the two crops to get
maximum profit?
Example 3: Toys-A -Go makes toys at plant A and Plant B. Plant A need a minimum of 1000 toy dup trucks
and fire engines. Plant B needs to make a minimum of 800 toy dump trucks and fire engines. Plant A can
make 10 toy dup trucks and 5 toy fire engines per hour while Plant B can produce 5 toy dump trucks and 15
toy fire engines per hour. If cost $30/hr to produce toy dump trucks and $35/hr to produce toy fire engines.
Determine the number of hours that should be spent on each to minimize the cost.
Linear Programming Worksheet
1. A manufacturer makes widgets and gadgets. At least 500 widgets and 700 gadgets are needed to meet
minimum daily demands. The machinery can produce no more than 1200 widgets and 1400 gadgets per day.
The combined number of widgets and gadgets that the packaging department can handle is 2300 per day. If
the company sells widgets for 40 cents each and gadgets for 50 cents each, how many of each item should be
produced for maximum daily income? What is the maximum daily income?

2. A company makes two models of light fixture, A and B, each of which must be assembled and packed. The
time required to assemble model A is 12 minutes, and model B takes 18 minutes. It takes 2 minutes to
package model A and 1 minute to package model B. Each week there are available 240 hours of assembly
time and 20 hours for packing. If model A sells for $1.70, how many of each model should be made to obtain
the maximum weekly income? What is the maximum weekly income?
3. In addition to the information given in problem 1, suppose the cost of producing a widget is 7 cents and the
cost of producing a gadget is 18 cents. How many widgets and gadgets should be produced for maximum
daily profit? What is the maximum daily profit?

4. In addition to the information given in problem 2, suppose the cost of producing model A is 75 cents and
the cost of producing model B is 85 cents. How many model A light fixture and model B light fixture should
be produced for maximum weekly profit? What is the maximum weekly profit?
5. A manufacturer can show a profit on a bicycle of $6 and a profit on a tricycle of $4. Department A requires
3 hours to manufacture parts for tricycle. Department B takes 5 hours to assemble a bicycle and 2 hours to
assemble a tricycle. How many bicycles and tricycles should be produced to maximize the profit if the total
time available in department A is 450 hours and in department B is 400 hours?

6. A diet is to include at least 140 mg of Vitamin A and at least 145 mg of Vitamin B. These requirements are
to be obtained from two types of food. Type X contains 10 mg of Vitamin A and 20 mg of Vitamin B per
pound. Type Y contains 30 mg of Vitamin A and 15 mg of Vitamin B per pound. If type X food costs $12 and
type Y food costs $8 per pound, how many pounds of each type of food should be purchased to satisfy the
requirements at the minimum cost?
7. A packer makes a kind of wurst using beef, pork, cereal, fat, water, and spices. The minimum cereal content
is 12%, the minimum fat content is 15%, the minimum water content is 6.5%, and the spices are 0.5%. The
remaining ingredients are beef and pork. There must be at least 30% beef for flavor and at least 20% pork for
texture. The beef content must equal or exceed the pork content. The cost of all the content except beef and
pork is $32 per 100 lb. Beef can be purchased for $140 per 100 lb and pork for $90 per 100 lb. Find the
combination of beef and pork for the minimum cost. What is the minimum cost per 100 lb?

8. A company is planning to buy new fork hoists for material handling. There are tow models that will serve
their needs. The warehouse supervisor feels that a minimum of 3 model M hoists and 5 Model R hoists will be
needed. The supplier has 8 Model M hoists and 10 Model R hoists on hand for delivery. The company
purchasing agent has decided that no more than 14 hoists can be purchased. Model M can handle 12000 kg
per hour and Model R can handle 10000 kg per hour. What number of hoists of each model should be
purchased for maximum weight handling capacity?
9. A chemical company uses two types of fuel for heating and processing. At least 3800 gallons of fuel are
used each day. The burning of each gallons of #1 crude leaves a residue of 0.02 pounds of ash and 0.06
pounds of soot. Each gallon of #2 crude leaves a residue of 0.05 pounds of ash and 0.01 pounds of soot. The
factory needs at least 120 pounds of ash and at least 136 pounds of soot each day. If #1 crude costs $1.50 per
gallon and #2 crude costs $1.10 per gallon. Then how many gallons of each type should be purchased in order
to minimize the cost?

10. A pharmaceutical company manufactures two drugs. Each case of drug one requires 3 hours of processing
time and 1 hour of curing time per week. Each case of drug two requires 5 hours of processing time and 5
hours of curing time pre week. The schedule allows 55 hours of processing time and 45 hours of curing time
weekly. The company must produce no more than 10 cases of drug one and no more than 9 cases of drug two.
If the company makes a profit of $320 on each case of drug two, how many cases of each drug should be
produced in order to maximize profit?