LINEAR PROGRAMMING

EMPV 2025
Learning Objectives:

● Understand linear programming and its application

● Design a model for linear programming

● Solve problems related to linear programming

Linear Programming

● Is a model that consists of linear relationships representing a firm’s decisions,

given an objective and resource constraints.

● Linear relationship is the interdependence of one variable (independent

variable and another variable (dependent variable), meaning a change in
independent variable will affect the dependent variable.

● Involves choosing a course of action when the mathematical model of the

problem contains only linear functions.
● Helps organizations make decisions in which there are restrictions such as
limited resources.

Linear programming problems:

● The maximization or minimization of some quantity is the objective in all linear
programming problems.
● All LP problems have constraints that limit the degree to which the objective
can be pursued.
● A feasible solution satisfies all the problem's constraints.
● An optimal solution is a feasible solution that results in the largest possible
objective function value when maximizing (or smallest when minimizing).
● A graphical solution method can be used to solve a linear program with two
variables.
 Steps in Linear Programming Model formulation
STEP 1 Define the decision variables Decision variables- mathematical symbols
that represent levels of activity

Objective function- is a linear mathematical

STEP 2 Define the objective function relationship that describes the objective of the
firm in terms of decision variables

STEP 3 Constraints- restrictions or limitations in

Define the constraints
achieving the objective, that is to maximize
profit or minimize costs
Sample Scenario: (Maximization Problem)

ABC Company manufactures bowls and mugs. The primary resources used

are pottery clay and labor. In order to produce one unit of bowl, it requires 1

hour of labor and 4lbs of clay and for mugs, it requires 2 hours of labor and

3lbs of clay. Profit per unit of bowl and mugs are P40 and P50, respectively.

Also, there is only 40 hrs of labour and 120lbs of clay capacity per day. How

many bowls and mugs should be produced to maximize profits?

 Steps in Linear Programming Model formulation
STEP 1 Define the decision variables Let x = no. of bowls to produce per day
y = no. of mugs to produce per day

Maximize Z = 40x + 50y

STEP 2 Define the objective function where Z = profit per day

x + 2y ≤ 40 (labor constraint) ;
4x + 3y ≤ 120 (clay constraint);
STEP 3 Define the constraints x ≥ 0 ( non-negativity constraint);
y ≥ 0 ( non-negativity constraint)
 Complete Linear Programming Model:

Objective function : Maximize Z = 40x + 50y

subject to x + 2y ≤ 40;
4x + 3y ≤ 120;
x ≥ 0;
y≥ 0

Using substitution method, we can determine the no. of bowls and mugs to be produce per day to
maximize profit under the constraints.

Convert the inequality to equality equations:

x + 2y ≤ 40 x + 2y = 40 4x + 3y = 120 ; x = 40-2y
→ →
4x + 3y ≤ 120 4x + 3y = 120 40 - 2 (8)
4 (40-2y) + 3y = 120
40-16
160 -8y + 3y = 120 x = 24
-5y = -40
y=8
Sample Scenario: (Minimization Problem)
A farmer is preparing to plant a crop in the spring. There are 2 brands of fertilizer to choose from, Super

Grow and Crop quick. Each brand yields a specific amount of nitrogen and phosphate as follows:

Brand Nitrogen (lb/bag) Phosphate (lb/bag)

Super Grow 2 4

Crop Quick 4 3

The farmer’s field requires at least 16 pounds of nitrogen and 24 pounds of phosphate. Super grow

costs P350 per bag and Crop quick costs P150 per bag. The farmer wants to know how many bags of

each brand to purchase in order to minimize the total cost of fertilizers.

 Steps in Linear Programming Model formulation
STEP 1 Define the decision variables Let x = no. of bags of Super grow
y = no. of bags of Crop quick

Minimize Z = 350x+ 150y

STEP 2 Define the objective function where Z = Cost

2x+ 4y ≥16 (nitrogen constraint) ;

4x + 3y ≥24 (phosphate constraint);
STEP 3 Define the constraints x ≥ 0 ( non-negativity constraint);
y ≥ 0 ( non-negativity constraint)
 Complete Linear Programming Model:

Objective function : Minimize Z = 350x + 150y

subject to 2x+ 4y ≥16 ;

4x + 3y ≥24 ;
x ≥ 0;
y≥ 0

Using substitution method, we can determine the no. of bags of super grow and crop quick to
purchase in order to minimize costs.

Convert the inequality equations to equality equations:

2x+ 4y ≥16 2x+ 4y =16 4x + 3y = 24 ; (2x+4y = 16)/2
→ →
4x + 3y ≥24 4x + 3y =24 x+2y=8
4 (8-2y) + 3y = 24
x=8-2y
32 -8y + 3y = 24
32-5y = 24 X=8-2(1.6)
8= 5y =8 - 3.2
Y= 1.6 x=4.8
Exercise 1:

ABC Farm must determine how may acres of corn and wheat to plant this year.
An acre of wheat yields 25 bushels of wheat and requires 10 hrs of labor per
week. An acre of corn yields 10 bushels of corn and requires 4 hrs of labor week.
All wheat can be sold at $4 a bushel and all corn be sold at $3 a bushel. Seven
acres of land and 40 hrs of labor per week are available. Government regulations
require that at least 30 bushels of corn be produced during the year. Formulate
an LP whose solution will tell ABC Farm to maximize the total revenue from
wheat and corn.
Exercise 2:

A company manufactures 2 products, X and Y by using 3 machines A, B and C.

Machine A has 4 hours of capacity available during the coming week. Similarly,
the available capacity of machines B and C during the coming week is 24 hours
and 35 hours,respectively. One unit of product X requires one hr of machine A, 3
hours of machine B and 10 hrs of machine C. Similarly, one unit of product Y
requires 1 hr, 8hrs and 10 hrs of machines A, B and C, respectively. When one
unit of X is sold in the market, it yields a profit of $5 per product and that of Y is
$7 per unit. Find the optimal product mix.
Exercise 3:

Cookie wishes to mix 2 types of foods in such a way that vitamin contents of the
mixture contain at least 8 units of vitamin A and 10 units of Vitamin C. Food A
contains 2 units/kg of Vitamin A and 1 unit/kg of Vitamin C. Food B contains 1
unit/kg of Vitamin A and 2 units/kg of Vitamin C. It costs P 50 per kg purchase
food A and P 70 per kg to purchase Food B. Formulate the linear programming
model to minimize the cost of such a mixture.
Exercise 4:
Gavin learned to bake while on home quarantine. He also realized that he will be
able to make P60.00 profit per tray of banana muffins and P120.00 profit per tray
of blueberry muffins. He needs 2 cups of milk and 3 cups of flour to bake a tray
of banana muffins and,baking a tray of blueberry muffins takes 4 cups of milk and
3 cups of flour. She has 16 cups of milk and 15 cups of flour. How many trays of
each flavor must be baked to maximize the profit?

Milk (ingredients Flour (ingredients Profit per tray

per tray) per tray)
Banana muffin 2 cups 3 cups P 60.00

Blueberry muffin 4 cups 3 cups P 120.00

Exercise 5:
Kyla wants to make sure her dogs are fed a daily diet that contains at least 22 grams (g) of
fat, 38 g of carbohydrates and 7g of protein. In addition, she wants each dog’s daily diet to
contain at most 4g of sodium and 5g of potassium. She has access to different foods - food
x, food y and food z- that she can mix to create a blend for her dogs. Food x contains 7g of
fat, 10g of carbohydrates, 3g of protein , 1g of sodium and 4g of potassium and costs $0.25
per ounce. Food y contains 12g of fat, 12g of carbohydrates, 1g of protein , 1g of sodium
and 2g of potassium and costs $0.30 per ounce. Food z contains 8g of fat, 12g of
carbohydrates, 3g of protein , 5g of sodium and 5g of potassium and costs $0.20 per
ounce. Formulate a linear programming model that determines a blend of food x,y and z
that meets the dog’s nutrional requirements at minimum cost.