Linear Programming Project

In this project, students will explore the process of optimization and practice real-world linear
programming. They will create a hypothetical business that is seeking to maximize profits. They will
make a visual depicting the problem and present their findings to the class. They will present their
findings to their hypothetical “boss”.

Procedure

1. With your assigned partner, read your problem carefully. Each person should do a
rough draft of the work for the problem. At this point, you may want to make the
problem your own – change the name of the business, the products you are selling, or
add other interesting features to the project.

2. Create a visual that fully explains your linear programming problem. Be colorful and
neat. You can print out logos for your company or fake products. Be creative as
possible, while maintaining professionalism. Mathematically, you must include:

a. List of the important facts from your problem

b. Meaning for the variables
c. 
Constraints
d. 
Objective function
e. Graph with clearly labeled scale and axes
f. Vertices & objective function evaluation
g. Meaningful solution!

3. Present both problems and solutions to class—board meeting style.

Please remember you are the company making a presentation! You are speaking to the board
members telling them what you should make and how much of it you should make in order to
maximize profits or minimize costs etc. You may dress the part. Do not speak only in
mathematical terms the entire time (in terms of x and y). Explain how you came up with your
equations. Make sure you explain what each line means and why it is relevant. Explain what your
feasible region is and its relevancy. Again, you must speak in terms of the problem not in terms of
x and y (what is x and y in your problem).  

1.  A  carpentry  shop  makes  dinner  tables  and  coffee   2.  Suppose  a  lumber  mill  can  turn  out  600  units  of  
tables.  Each  week  the  shop  must  complete  at  least  8   lumber  and  plywood  each  week.  To  meet  the  needs  
dinner  tables  and  at  least  12  coffee  tables  to  be   of  its  regular  customers,  the  mill  must  produce  150  
shipped  to  the  furniture  stores.  The  shop  can  produce   units  of  lumber  and  225  units  of  plywood.  If  the  profit  
at  most  25  dinner  tables  and  coffee  tables  combined   for  each  unit  of  lumber  is  $30  and  the  profit  for  each  
each  week.  If  the  shop  sells  dinner  tables  for  $120   unit  of  plywood  is  $45,  how  many  units  of  each  type  
and  coffee  tables  for  $150,  how  many  of  each  item   of  wood  product  should  the  mill  produce  to  maximize  
should  be  produced  for  a  maximum  weekly  income?   profit?  What  is  this  profit?  
What  is  the  maximum  weekly  income?  
3.  Funtime  Airways  flies  from  Palau  to  Nauru  weekly  if   4.    Steve  makes  two  types  of  wood  clocks  to  sell  at  
at  least  12  first  class  tickets  and  at  least  16  tourist   local  stores.  It  takes  him  2  hours  to  assemble  a  pine  
class  tickets  are  sold.  The  plane  can  not  carry  more   clock,  which  requires  1  oz  of  varnish.  It  takes  2  hours  
than  30  passengers.  Funtime  Airways  makes  $26   to  assemble  an  oak  clock,  which  takes  4  oz.  of  varnish.  
profit  for  each  tourist  class  seat  sold  and  $24  profit   Juan  has  16  oz.  of  varnish  in  stock,  and  can  work  20  
for  each  first  class  seat  sold.  In  order  for  Funtime   hours.  If  he  makes  $3  profit  on  each  pine  clock  and  $4  
Airways  to  maximize  its  profits,  how  many  of  each   on  each  oak  clock,  how  many  of  each  type  should  he  
type  of  seat  should  they  sell?  What  is  the  maximum   make  to  maximize  his  profits?  What  is  the  maximum  
profit?   profit?  
5.  A  farmer  has  10  acres  to  plant  in  wheat  and  rye.  He   6.  A  calculator  company  produces  a  scientific  
has  to  plant  at  least  7  acres.  However,  he  has  only   calculator  and  a  graphing  calculator.  There  is  an  
$1200  to  spend  and  each  acre  of  wheat  costs  $200  to   expected  demand  of  at  least  60  scientific  and  80  
plant  and  each  acre  of  rye  costs  $100  to  plant.   graphing  calculators  each  day.  Because  of  limitations  
Moreover,  the  farmer  has  to  get  the  planting  done  in   on  production  capacity,  no  more  than  100  scientific  
12  hours  and  it  takes  an  hour  to  plant  an  acre  of   and  170  graphing  calculators  can  be  made  daily.  To  
wheat  and  2  hours  to  plant  an  acre  of  rye.  If  the  profit   satisfy  a  shipping  contract,  a  total  of  at  least  200  
is  $500  per  acre  of  wheat  and  $300  per  acre  of  rye,   calculators  must  be  shipped  each  day.  If  each  
how  many  acres  of  each  should  be  planted  to   scientific  calculator  is  sold  for  a  $2  profit  and  each  
maximize  profits?  What  is  this  profit?   graphing  calculator  is  sold  for  a  $5  profit,  how  many  
of  each  should  be  made  daily  to  maximize  profit?  
What  is  this  maximum  profit?  

7.  The  Cruiser  Bicycle  Company  makes  two  styles  of   8.    The  B  &  W  Leather  Company  wants  to  add  
bicycles:  the  Traveler,  which  sells  for  $200,  and  the   handmade  belts  and  wallets  to  its  product  line.  Each  
Tourester,  which  sells  $600.  Each  bicycle  has  the   belt  nets  the  company  $18  in  profit,  and  each  wallet  
same  frame  and  tires,  but  the  assembly  and  painting   nets  $12.  Both  belts  and  wallets  require  cutting  and  
time  required  for  the  Traveler  is  only  1  hour,  while  it   sewing.  Belts  require  2  hours  of  cutting  time  and  6  
is  3  hours  for  the  Tourister.  There  are  300  frames  and   hours  of  sewing  time.  Wallets  require  3  hours  of  
360  hours  of  labor  available  for  production.  How   cutting  time  and  3  hours  of  sewing  time.  If  the  cutting  
many  bicycles  of  each  model  should  be  produced  to   machine  is  available  12  hours  a  week  and  the  sewing  
maximize  revenue?   machine  is  available  18  hours  per  week,  what  mix  of  
belts  and  wallets  will  produce  the  most  profit?  What  
  is  the  profit?  

9.  The  Plexus  Dance  Theatre  Company  will  appear  at   10.  At  a  certain  refinery,  gasoline  and  fuel  oil  are  
the  University  of  Georgia.  According  to  school  policy,   produced.  The  refining  process  requires  the  
no  more  than  2000  general  admission  tickets  can  be   production  of  at  least  two  gallons  of  gasoline  for  each  
sold  and  no  more  than  4000  student  tickets  can  be   gallon  of  fuel  oil.  To  meet  the  anticipated  demands  of  
sold.  It  costs  $0.50  per  ticket  to  advertise  the  dance   the  winter,  at  least  three  million  gallons  of  fuel  oil  a  
company  to  the  students  and  $1  per  ticket  to   day  will  need  to  be  produced.  The  demand  for  
advertise  to  the  general  public.  The  dance  company   gasoline,  on  the  other  hand,  is  not  more  than  8  
has  an  advertising  budget  of  $3000  for  this  show.  Find   million  gallons  a  day.  If  the  gasoline  is  selling  for  $1.90  
the  maximum  profit  the  company  can  make  if  it   per  gallon  profit  and  fuel  oil  sells  for  $1.50  per  gallon  
charges  $4  for  a  student  ticket  and  $7  for  a  general   profit,  find  how  much  of  each  should  be  produced  in  
admission  ticket.  How  many  student  and  general   order  to  maximize  profit.  What  is  the  maximum  
admission  tickets  should  they  sell  to  maximize  profit?   profit?  
What  is  this  profit?