Exercise: Linear Programming

1. Farmer Jones must determine how many acres of corn and wheat to plant this year.
An acre of wheat yields 25 bushels of wheat and requires 10 hours of labor per
week. An acre of corn yields 10 bushels of corn and requires 4 hours of labor per
week. All wheat can be sold at $4 a bushel, and all corn can be sold at $3 a bushel.
Seven acres of land and 40 hours per week of labor are available. Government
regulations require that at least 30 bushels of corn be produced during the current
year. Let x1 = number of acres of corn planted, and x2 = number of acres of wheat
planted. Using these decision variable, formulate a Linear Programming (LP) whose
solution will tell Farmer Jones how to maximize the total revenue from wheat and
corn.
2. Answer these questions about Problem 1.
a. Is (x1 = 2, x2 = 3) in the feasible region?
b. Is (x1 = 4, x2 = 3) in the feasible region?
c. Is (x1 = 2, x2 = -1) in the feasible region?
d. Is (x1 = 3, x2 = 2) in the feasible region?
3. A farmer owner wants to know how many acres of three different crops to plant on
three different plots in order to maximize profit. The farmers tract of land consists
of 2000 acres. The farmers has subdivided the tract into three plots and has
contracted with three local farm families to operate the plots. The farm owner has
instructed each sharecropper to plant three crops: corn, peas and soybeans. The
size of each plot has been determined by the capabilities of each local farmer. Plot
sizes, crop restrictions, and profit per acre are given in the following tables.
Plot
1
2
3

Acreage
500
800
700

Crop

Maximum
Acreage
900
700
1000

Corn
Peas
Soybean

Profit/Acre
$600
450
300

Any of three crops may be planted on any of the plots; however, the farm
owner has placed the following restrictions on the farming operation. At least 60%
of each plot must be under cultivation. To ensure that each sharecropper works
according to his or her potential and resources (which determined the acreage
allocation), the owner wants the same proportion of each plot to be under
cultivation. The owners objective is to determine how much of each crop to plant
on each plot in order to maximize profit. Formulate the complete linear
programming model.