Transportation Problems

Transportation model deal with problems concerning as to what happens to

the effectiveness function when associate each of a number of origins (sources)
with each of a possibly different number of destinations (jobs). The total;
movement from each origin and the total movement of each destination is
given and it is desired to find how association be made subject to the
limitations of the total. In such problems , sources can be divided among the
jobs or jobs may be done with a combination of sources.

Linear programming model for the transportation problem is

Minimise Z = ∑∑ Cij xij , I = 1,m; j= 1,n

xij ≥ 0

General format of the transportation problem is

Destination (j)

1 2 3 ……………n Supply

1 .c11 c12 c13 …………..c1n a1

Sources(i) 2 .c21 c22 c23………………c2n a2

3 …………………………. a3

. ………………………..
m .cm1 cm2 cm3…………..…cmn am
 Demand b1 b2 b3 …………. bn

subject to ∑xij ≤ ai ,i = 1, m, ∑xij ≥ bj , j = 1, n

Type of Transportation problem

Transportation problem can be classified into balanced transportation

problem and unbalanced transportation problem.

If the sum of the supplies of all the sources is equal to the sum of the demands
of all the destinations then the problem is termed as balanced transportation
problem. If sum of the supplies of all the sources not equal to sum of the
demands of all the destinations then it is called unbalanced transportation
problem. If it is unbalanced, make it balanced by adding dummy columns or
dummy rows as the case may be sum of the supplies is equal to sum of the
demands.

Definitions

Feasible solution: A feasible solution to a transportation problem is a set of non-

negative allocations, xij , that satisfies the rim(row and column) restrictions.

Basic Feasible solutions: A feasible solution to a transportation problem is said to

be a basic feasible solution if it contains not more than M=n-1 no-negative
allocations where m is the number of rows and n is the number of columns of the
transportation problem.

Optimal solution: A feasible solution (not necessarily basic) that minimizes the
transportation cost is called an optimal solution.
Solution of the transportation model

The solution involves making a transportation model in the form of a matrix,

finding a feasible solution, performing optimality test and iterating towards optimal
solution if required.

Step 1. Make a transportation model

This consists in expressing supply from origins, requirement at destinations and

cost of shipping from origins to destinations in the form of a matrix as shown
below.

A check is made to find if total supply and demand are equal. If yes the problem is
said to be a balanced or self contained or standard problem. If not, a dummy origin
or destination (as the case may ) be added to balance the supply and demand.

Step II : Find a Basic feasible solution

It can be found by the following method

1. North West Corner Method(NWCM)

Step 1: Allocate to the (1,1) ( which is the North West Cell), maximum possible
amount which is minimum of row total and column total. So either a row or a
column total gets exhausted. So cross off that row or column as the case may be.

Step 2: Consider the reduced matrix and allocate to the cell (1,1) maximum
possible amount (which is minimum of present row total or column total)

Step 3: Repeat the above steps until all the available quantities are exhausted.

2.Least Cost Method (Lowest Cost Entry Method)

In this method choose the cell having the lowest cost in the matrix. Allocate there
as much as possible which is the minimum of row total and column total. Then
either of the row total or column total is exhausted and cross off the corresponding
row or column. From the reduced matrix , locate the cell having the lowest cost.
Continue this process until all the available quantities are exhausted.

3.Vogels Approximation Method(VAM)

Step 1.

In this method, find the difference between smallest and second smallest costs in
each of each row and column below in brackets and these differences are known
as penalty.

Step 2.

Selecting the row or column having the largest penalty and allocate the maximum
possible amount to the cell with lowest cost in that row or column as the case may
be. Thus either row total or column total is completely exhausted. Cross off that
row(column). Construct the reduced matrix with remaining row or column.

Step 3.

Repeat the steps 1 and 2 until all rows and column totals are exhausted.

Optimal Solution
Step 1

Construct the transportation Matrix. For this enter the supply ai from the
origins, demand bi, at the destinations and the unit costs cij in the various cells

Step 2

Find initial basic feasible solution by Vogels approximation method or any of

the other methods

Step 3
Perform optimality test using Modified distribution method. For this find dual
variables ui and vj such that ui + vj = Cij for occupied cells. Starting with ,
say, vi =0, all other variables can be evaluated.

Step 4

Compute the cell evaluations = c ij – (ui + vj) for vacant cells. If all cell
evaluations are positive or zero, the feasible solution is optimal.

Step 5

Select the vacant cell with the most negative evaluation. This is called
identified cell.

Step 6

Make as much allocation in the identified cell as possible so that it becomes

basic. Construct a closed loop connecting this cell to the others basic cells.
Reallocate the maximum possible number of units to these cells, keeping in
mind the rim conditions. This will make allocation in basic cell zero and in
other basic cells the allocations will remain non-negative

Step 7

Return to step 3, repeat the process till optimal solution is reached.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q31jKiEXxdc : TRANSPORTATION PROBLEMS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnZnIIksdwU: OPTIMAL SOLUTIONS

ASSIGNMENT 3

1. Solve the following transportation problem using NWCM, LEAST COST ,

VAM, whose cost matrix is given below and Optimise it

DESTINATIONS

A B C D CAPACITY

1 1 5 3 3 34

Origin 2 3 3 1 2 15

3 0 2 2 3 12

4 2 7 2 4 19

DEMAND 21 25 17 17 80

1. Solve the following transportation problem using VAM and optimize it

DESTINATION

D1 D2 D3 D4 SUPPLY

O1 6 1 9 3 70

O2 11 5 2 8 55

O3 10 12 4 7 70

DEMAND 85 35 50 45
Session 16, 17, 18

Assignment Problems

An assignment problem focuses to the effectiveness function when we associate

each of a number of origins with each of the same number of destinations . Each
resource or facility (origin) is to be associated with one and only one job
(destination) and associations are to be made in such a way so as to maximize (or
minimize) the total effectiveness. Resources are not divisible among jobs, nor are
jobs divisible among resources. The assignment problem may be defined as
follows:

Given n facilities and n jobs and given the effectiveness of each facility for each
job, the problem is to assign each facility to one and only one job so as to optimize
the given measure of effectiveness.

Types of assignment problems

There are two types of assignment problems

Balanced: Number rows = Number of rows

Unbalanced : Number of rows Not equal to Number of Columns

Solution of Assignment problems:

HUNGERIAN Method
Phase I : Row and Column Reduction

STEP 0 : Consider the given MATRIX

STEP 1 : Obain the next Matrix by subtracting the minimum value of each row
from the entries of that row

STEP 2 : Obtain the next MATRIX by subtracting the minimum value of each
column from the entries of that column.

Phase II : Optimization of the problem

STEP 3 : Draw a minimum number of lines to cover all the zeroes of the
matrix. The procedure for drawing minimum number of lines involves the
following steps

1.1 Row scanning

1. Starting from the first row, ask the following question. Is there
exactly one row in that row? If yes, mark a square that zero entry
and draw a vertical line passing through that zero: otherwise skip
that row
2. After scanning the last row, check whether all the zeroes are
covered with lines. If yes go to step 4: otherwise, do column scanning
1.2 Column scanning
1. Starting from the first column, ask the following question: Is there
exactly one zero in that column? If yes, mark a square around that
zero entry and draw a horizontal line passing through that zero:
otherwise skip that column.
2. After scanning the last column, check whether all the zeroes are
covered with lines. If yes, go to step 4: otherwise, do row scanning

STEP 4: Check whether the number of squares marked is equal to the

number of rows of the matrix. If yes, go to step 7: otherwise go to step 5

STEP 5 : Identify the minimum value of the undeleted cell values. Obtain the
next matrix by following steps mentioned below
 5.1: Copy the entries on the lines but not on the intersections points of
the present matrix as such without any modifications to the corresponding
positions of the next matrix.

5.2: copy the entries at the intersection points of the present matrix after
adding the minimum undeleted cell value to the corresponding positions of
the next matrix.

5.3: Subtract the minimum undeleted cell value from all the undeleted
cell values and then copy them to the corresponding positions of the next
matrix.

STEP 6: Go to step 3

STEP 7: Treat the solution as marked by the square as the optimal solution
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7VMzOTZvqM: ASSIGNMENT PROBLEMS

ASSIGNMENT 4

1. Using the following cost Matrix, determine (a) optimal job

assignment(b) cost of assignments
Job

1 2 3 4 5

----------------------------

A 10 3 3 2 8
 B 9 7 8 2 7

C 7 5 6 2 4

D 3 5 8 2 4

E 9 10 9 6 10

___________________

2. There are four jobs to be assigned to five machines. Only one job can be
assigned to one machine. The amount of time in hours required for the
jobs per machine are given in the following matrix
MACHINES
Jobs A B C D E
1 4 3 6 2 7
2 10 12 11 14 16
3 4 3 2 1 5
4 8 7 6 9 6

Find an optimum assignment of jobs to the machines to minimize the

total processing time and also find out for which machine no jobis
assigned. What is the total processing time to complete all the jobs?