Linear programming is a mathematical method for finding the best possible outcome or
solution in a given model. This technique is used to achieve the highest profit or the
lowest cost from a set of requirements that are represented as linear relationships. The
"linear" part means that all the mathematical relationships in the model are straight
lines, and the "programming" refers to the planning or optimization process.
Key Components
Every linear programming problem has three main parts:
1. Objective Function: This is the goal you want to maximize or minimize. For
example, a company might want to maximize its profit or minimize its cost.
2. Decision Variables: These are the unknowns that you need to find. They
represent the quantity of each product to produce, the number of employees to
hire, etc.
3. Constraints: These are the limitations or restrictions on the decision variables.
They are expressed as a set of linear inequalities. For instance, a factory might
have a limited amount of raw material or a set number of working hours.
Suitable Examples
Example 1: Manufacturing Production
A factory produces two types of toys: Toy A and Toy B.
Objective: Maximize profit.
Decision Variables: Let x be the number of Toy A produced, and y be the number
of Toy B produced.
Constraints:
o The factory has a limited amount of plastic. Producing Toy A requires 2 kg of
plastic, and Toy B requires 3 kg. The total plastic available is 100 kg. This can
be written as 2x+3y≤100.
o The factory has a limited number of labor hours. Producing Toy A requires 1
hour of labor, and Toy B requires 2 hours. The total labor hours available are
60. This can be written as x+2y≤60.
o The factory cannot produce a negative number of toys, so x≥0 and y≥0.
The profit for Toy A is $5, and for Toy B is $8. The objective function to maximize is
Profit = $5x + $8y. The goal is to find the values of x and y that satisfy all the
constraints and give the highest profit.
Example 2: Diet Planning
A dietician needs to create a diet plan using two foods, Food X and Food Y.
Objective: Minimize the total cost of the diet.
Decision Variables: Let x be the amount of Food X and y be the amount of Food
Y.
Constraints:
o The diet must contain at least 500 calories. Food X has 200 calories per unit,
and Food Y has 300 calories per unit. So, 200x+300y≥500.
o The diet must contain at least 10 grams of protein. Food X has 5g of protein,
and Food Y has 2g. So, 5x+2y≥10.
o The amounts of food must be non-negative, so x≥0 and y≥0.
If Food X costs $3 per unit and Food Y costs $4 per unit, the objective function to
minimize is Cost = $3x + 4y. The solution would be the combination of Food X and Food
Y that meets the nutritional requirements at the lowest cost.
