Silvana Alarcon

8/4/2020
Essential linear programming

Summer semester of 2020 I took Math 1010, a fundamental algebra class. This class was

great because I had the opportunity for lots of practice on each topic as they built on each other.

The topics begin with solving equations for a variable, to graphing logarithmic functions, to

solving real world mathematical problems. They also included writing equations from solutions,

reading and interpreting logarithmic graphics, and solving projects, which are multi-step word

problems that involve multiple topics.

Math project 1 was a great real-world problem of linear programing. Linear programing

is a process that involves limitations or constraints while needing to calculate the maximum

potential within an overall constraint. Further, linear programing is made of multiple parts and

each part affects the results of the follow part and so on. In this particular project we used

inequalities and graphed them to show its data visually. The project was to buy as many TV and

radio ads to reach the most amount of people under a certain budget. This situation is very

applicable to a job and career in the real world. If I did not have this math project, and I had to

experience this project in real life I would have been stumped. Project 1’s process and results

showed how to budget and visualize the profits to its fullest potential of a business purchase. The

overall objective of this project was to buy the most TV and radio ads as possible without going

over budget. However, there was a specific rule for the number of TV and radio ads that needed

to air. With that constraint, I still needed to calculate how to buy the greatest number of ads as

possible to reach hundreds and thousands of listeners. If I were to start my own law firm, I would

need to do this same calculation to reach as many potential clients as possible. The number of

people who listen or watch the ads affects the number of clients I could potentially have.
Silvana Alarcon
8/4/2020
Therefore, the results of this project are extremely important because they can significantly

influence the success of the business.

Another example of someone who could use this type of analysis is a politician. Someone

who wants to get their message across to a wide population will need different methods to reach

them. This means, source and repetition; TV and radio ads rotate throughout the day at various

times; thus, they have very high potential to reach voters. And these ads work to the politicians’

advantage because the more often a person listens or sees the ad, the more likely they are to think

about it and act on it. Ads are very effective and influential to careers like politicians.

Another example of linear programming would be a gardener. This gardener can have a

number of constraints, including available space and using specific plants because of the type of

environment, and the number of plants that fit into one space. This must all be taken into

consideration while remaining within a specific budget. All of these constraints affect the

gardener’s profit and business. The way the gardener is going to make money is making a profit

of $15 for each plant. Therefore, the gardener needs to calculate how to maximize their profit

while considering the constraints of the job.

It is important for the manager to be specific and clear about the process because the

result of the first part of the process affects the result of the second part of the process and the

results of that part affects the results of the following part and ultimately the overall result. Thus,

if one part is incorrect, the end results will be inaccurate. If the manager is not able to justify the

end result of conclusion of the lab, it shows that the process was done inaccurately. The process

needs to be clear and logical for the results to be accurate.

Project 1 definitely enlightened me to the usefulness of math in the real world. I would

have never thought to learn linear programming if it weren’t for this project. Before this course,
Silvana Alarcon
8/4/2020
Math 1010, I could understand how geometry could be useful in real life, but not algebra. Little

did I know that algebra is the foundation to linear programming, which is extremely useful in the

real world. Project 1 actually spiked my interest in word problems. I used to always dislike word

problems before Math 1010 and before Project 1. When I read the project, I was surprised and

thought, wow, this is applicable and truly essential to building a business and making a profit. It

made me want to learn more about math because I realized how great of a tool it is for the real

world.