#06 • COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, ARTS

AND SCIENCES

FLEX Course Material

use linear programming
techniques to formulate
and solve optimizations
problems
MATHEMATICS
IN THE MODERN
advocate the use of linear
programming techniques
in real life situations (V)
WORLD

LINEAR
PROGRAMMING
This course deals with the nature of mathematics,
appreciation of its practical, intellectual, and aesthetic
dimensions, and applications of mathematical tools in daily
life. Students are encouraged to go beyond the typical
understanding of mathematics as merely set of formulas but
as a source of aesthetics in patterns of nature. The course
then proceeds to survey ways in which mathematics
provides a tool for understanding and dealing with various
aspects of present-day living, such as managing personal
finances, making social choices, appreciating geometric
designs, understanding codes used in data transmission and
security, and dividing limited resources fairly.

Copyright Disclaimer:
No part of this material may be reproduced,
distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any
means, including photocopying, recording, or other
electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior
written permission of the owner, except for personal
academic use and certain other noncommercial uses
permitted by copyright law.
 Table of Contents

Linear Programming

• Pre-Assessment Page 3

• Linear Inequalities Page 4

• Geometry of Linear Programming Page 7

• Key Terms Page 18

• Answer Keys Page 19

• References Page 23

2
 PRE-ASSESSMENT

Explore and Graph!

Open the Desmos application online, graph the given pairs of linear
equations and identify the coordinate of each point of intersection.
Take a screen shot of your work in each item.
You may watch the video in this link for the familiarity of Desmos application.

1. 2x + 3y = 6
3x - 4 y = 9

2. 4 x + 4 y = 21
-3x + 4 y = 21

3 4 1
3. x− y =
4 13 25
11 4 12
- x+ y =
3 21 7

3
4. 2020 x + y = −10
2
10
− 22 x − 23 y =
7

3
 #01

use a variety of statistical

tools to process and
Linear
manage numerical data

advocate the use of

Inequalities
statistical data in making
important decisions

Photo taken from https://www.pexels.com/photo/business-college-composition-desk-419635/

Almost any situation can be represented by a

linear inequality, like figuring out income over
time, calculating mileage rates, or predicting
profit. Many people use linear inequality every
day, even if they do the calculations in their
head without drawing a graph.

4
Linear Inequality

Linear inequalities can be

used to model and solve
real-life problems.
For instance, the use of
linear inequalities as
restrictions to the
materials or cost of
production.

Photo taken from https://www.pexels.com/photo/man-and-woman-wearing-black-and-white-striped-aprons-2696064/

Remember!

Linear inequalities used the inequality symbols <,  , > and  to

state relationship between two expressions.
As with an equation, you solve an inequality in the variables x and
y by finding all values of variables for which the inequality is true. Such
values are solutions and are said to satisfy the inequality. The set of all
real numbers that are solutions of an inequality is the solution set of the
inequality.
The set of all points on the plane that represents the solution set is
the graph of the linear inequality. Graphs of linear inequality may be
graph manually, but in this material, you are encouraged to use a
graphical tool like Desmos.
Watch this video on how to graph linear inequalities using
Desmos.

5
Linear Inequality

The set of all points on the

plane that represents the
solution set is the graph of
the linear inequality.
You are encouraged to use
a graphical tool like
Desmos. Watch this video
on how to graph linear
inequalities using Desmos.

Photo taken from https://www.pexels.com/photo/analysis-blackboard-board-bubble-355952/

Try This!

Graph the following linear inequalities using Desmos.

1. 2x + 3y  9
x- y 3

2. y  3x − 10
y  −2 x + 11

5 9
3. x− y+
2 2
5 12
x− y+
3 5
6
 #02

use a variety of statistical

tools to process and
Geometry
manage numerical data

advocate the use of

of Linear
statistical data in making
important decisions Programming

Photo taken from https://www.pexels.com/photo/person-resting-their-hand-on-table-2058147/

Have you ever wondered how resources may

be used to produce products (such as
machines, furniture, food, or clothing) or
services (such as airline schedules, advertising
policies, or investment decisions)?
Linear programming is the key!

7
Linear Programming
It is a mathematical
technique designed to
help operations managers
plan and make decisions
relative to the trade-offs
necessary to allocate
resources.

Photo taken from https://www.pexels.com/photo/person-resting-their-hand-on-table-2058147/

Basic Terms!

Decision Variables
These are a set of quantities that need to be determined in order to solve the
problem. These variables may represent production levels, transportation levels, etc.
which are under the control of the decision maker(s).

Objective Function
It is a mathematical expression in linear programming that maximizes or minimizes
some quantity (often profit or cost, but any goal may be used).

Constrains
These are restrictions that limit the degree to which one can pursue an objective.

Feasible Region
It is the set of all feasible combinations of decision variables. The area of feasible
solutions must satisfy all conditions specified by the program’s constraints and thus
the region where all constraints overlap. Any point in the region would be a feasible.
Any point outside the shaded area would represent an infeasible solution.

8
 Some • Scheduling school buses to minimize the
total distance traveled when carrying
students.
Applications

of Linear • Selecting the product mix in a factory to

make best use of machine- and labor-hours
Programming (LP) available while maximizing the firm’s profit.

• Developing a production schedule that will

satisfy future demands for a firm’s product
and at the same time minimize total
production and inventory costs.

Requirements of LP Problem

All LP problems have four properties in common:

1. LP problems seek to maximize or minimize some quantity (usually profit or cost). We refer to
this property as the objective function of an LP problem. The major objective of a typical firm is
to maximize profits in the long run. In the case of a trucking or airline distribution system, the
objective might be to minimize shipping costs.
2. The presence of restrictions, or constraints, limits the degree to which we can pursue our
objective. For example, deciding how many units of each product in a firm’s product line to
manufacture is restricted by available labor and machinery. We want, therefore, to maximize or
minimize a quantity (the objective function) subject to limited resources (the constraints).

3. There must be alternative courses of action to choose from. For example, if a company
produces three different products, management may use LP to decide how to allocate among
them its limited production resources (of labor, machinery, and so on). If there were no
alternatives to select from, we would not need LP.

4. The objective and constraints in linear programming problems must be expressed in terms of
linear equations or inequalities.

9
FORMULATING LINEAR
PROGRAMMING
PROBLEMS
One of the most common linear
programming applications is the
product-mix problem. Two or
more products are usually
produced using limited
resources. The company would
like to determine how many
units of each product it should
produce to maximize overall
profit given its limited resources.
Let’s look at an example.

Photo taken from https://www.pexels.com/photo/photo-of-people-doing-handshakes-3183197/

K-nect Electronics LPP

The K-nect Electronics Company produces two products: (1) the K-nect laptop, and (2) the K-nect
tablet. The production process for each product is similar in that both require a certain number of
hours of electronic work and a certain number of labor-hours in the assembly department. Each
laptop takes 4 hours of electronic work and 2 hours in the assembly shop. Each tablet requires 3
hours in electronics and 1 hour in assembly. During the current production period, 240 hours of
electronic time are available, and 100 hours of assembly department time are available. Each
laptop sold yields a profit of 700 pesos; each tablet produced may be sold for a 500 pesos profit.
This problem is to determine the best possible combination of Laptops and Tablets to manufacture
to reach the maximum profit. This product-mix situation can be formulated as a linear
programming problem.

Departments Hours Required to Produce 1 unit Available Hours

for the Week
Laptops (x) Tablets (y)
Electronic 4 3 240

Assembly 2 1 100

Profit per unit 700 500

10
K-nect Electronics Example
The K-nect Electronics Company
produces two products: (1) the Shader
laptop, and (2) the Shader tablet. The
production process for each product is
similar in that both require a certain
number of hours of electronic work
and a certain number of labor-hours in
the assembly department. Each laptop
takes 4 hours of electronic work and 2
hours in the assembly shop.
Each tablet requires 3 hours in
electronics and 1 hour in assembly.
During the current production period,
240 hours of electronic time are
available, and 100 hours of assembly
department time are available. Each
laptop sold yields a profit of 700 pesos;
each tablet produced may be sold for a
500 pesos profit.

Photo taken from https://www.pexels.com/photo/photo-of-people-doing-handshakes-3183197/

Cont…

We begin by summarizing the information needed to formulate and solve this problem (see

Table page 10). Further, let’s introduce some simple notation for use in the objective function and
constraints. Let x be the number of laptops to be produced and let y be the number of tablets to be
produced.

Now we can create the LP objective function in terms of x and y: Maximized Profit = 700x + 500y

Our next step is to develop mathematical relationships to describe the two constraints in this
problem. One general relationship is that the amount of a resource used is to be less than or equal
to (≤) the amount of resource available.

First constraint: Electronic time used is ≤ Electronic time available.

4x + 3y ≤ 240 (hours of electronic time)

Second constraint: Assembly time used is ≤ Assembly time available.

2x + y ≤ 100 (hours of assembly time)

Both these constraints represent production capacity restrictions and, of course, affect the total

profit. For example, K-nect Electronics cannot produce 70 laptops during the production period

because if x = 70, both constraints will be violated. It also cannot make x = 50 laptops and
y = 10 tablets. This constraint brings out another important aspect of linear programming; that
is, certain interactions will exist between variables. The more units of one product that a firm
produces, the fewer it can make of other products.

11
Some of the
Approaches/Methods
for solving LP Problems

Graphical Solution

Corner Point Solution

Remember!

Graphical Solution
The easiest way to solve a small LP problem is the graphical solution approach. The
graphical procedure may usually use when there are two decision variables. When there are
more than two variables, it is not possible to plot the solution on a two-dimensional graph.

To find the optimal solution to a linear programming problem, we must first identify a
set, or region, of feasible solutions. The first step in doing so is to plot the problem’s constraints
on a graph.

Watch this video showing an example of solving LP using graphical method.

Corner Point Solution

This technique involves looking at the profit at every corner point of the feasible region.
The mathematical theory behind linear programming states that an optimal solution to any
problem (that is, the values of x, y that yield the maximum profit) will lie at a corner point, or
extreme point, of the feasible region. Hence, it is necessary to find only the values of the
variables at each corner; the maximum profit or optimal solution will lie at one (or more) of
them.
Watch this video showing an example of solving LP using graphical method.

12
Given to K-nect Electronics
LP Problem
Objective Function:
Maximized Profit = 700x + 500y

Subject to the constraints:

4x + 3y ≤ 240
2x+ y ≤ 100

Considering that:
x, y ≥ 0

Photo taken from https://www.pexels.com/photo/photo-of-people-doing-handshakes-3183197/

Solution to K-nect Electronics LPP

To find the optimal solution to a linear programming problem, we must first identify a set, or

region, of feasible solutions. The first step in doing so is to plot the problem’s constraints on a

graph and consider the corner points.

We can see that the feasible region

for the K-nect Electronics Company
problem is a four-sided polygon
with four corner, or extreme,
points.
These points are P1(0, 0), P2(0, 80),
P3(30, 40), and P4(50, 0).

To find the (x, y) values producing the maximum profit, we find out what the coordinates of each
corner point are, then determine and compare their profit levels.
P1 : (x = 0, y = 0) Profit 700 pesos (0) + 500 pesos (0) = 0 peso
P2 : (x = 0, y = 80) Profit 700 pesos (0) + 500 pesos (80) = 40,000 pesos
P3 : (x = 30, y = 40) Profit 700 pesos (30) + 500 pesos (40) = 41,000 pesos (Max)
P4 : (x = 50, y = 0) Profit 700 pesos (50) + 500 pesos (0) = 35,000 pesos
Because P3 produces the highest profit of any corner point, the product mix of x = 30 laptops and
y = 40 tablets is the optimal solution to the K-nect Electronics problem. This solution will yield a
profit of 41,000 pesos per production period.

13
MORE ON
LINEAR PROGRAMMING
PROBLEMS
Many linear programming
problems involve minimizing an
objective such as cost instead of
maximizing a profit function.
Here is the other common linear
programming applications to
determine how many units of
each product it should produce
to minimize the cost given its
limited resources.
Let’s look at an example.

Photo taken from https://www.pexels.com/photo/business-charts-commerce-computer-265087/

K-mist Chemical LPP

K-mist Chemicals, Inc., produces two types of alcohols. An ethyl alcohol costs 250 pesos per gallon
to produce, and isopropyl alcohol with moisturizer costs 300 pesos per gallon.

Based on an analysis of current inventory levels and outstanding orders, K-mist’s production
manager has specified that at least 30 gallons of ethyl alcohol and at least 20 gallons of isopropyl
alcohol with moisturizer must be produced during the next week. In addition, the manager notes
that an existing inventory of a highly perishable raw material needed in both alcohols must be
used within a week. To avoid wasting the expensive raw material, K-mist must produce a total of
at least 60 gallons of the alcohols in the next week.

We may formulate this information as a minimization LP problem. Let x be the number of gallons
of ethyl alcohol and let y be the number of gallons of isopropyl alcohol with moisturizer.

Subject to:

x ≥ 30 gallons of ethyl alcohol

y ≥ 20 gallons of isopropyl alcohol with moisturizer

x + y ≥ 60 gallons total

x, y ≥ 0 pesos, non-negative requirements

14
Given to K-mist Chemical
LP Problem

Objective Function:
Minimized Cost = 250x + 300y

Subject to the constraints:

x ≥ 30
y ≥ 20
x + y ≥ 60
x, y ≥ 0

Photo taken from https://www.pexels.com/photo/business-charts-commerce-computer-265087/

Solution to K-mist Chemical LPP

To solve the K-mist Chemical problem graphically, we construct the problem’s feasible region as
shown

Minimization problems are often

unbounded outward (that is, on the right
side and on the top), but this characteristic
causes no problem in solving them. If they
are bounded inward (on the left side and
the bottom), we can establish corner
points. The optimal solution will lie at one
of the corners.

In this case, there are only two corner points, P1 (30, 30) and P2 (40, 20). The optimal solution is
found at the point yielding the lowest total cost. So, we can compare the cost level of each corner
point.
Total Cost at P1 = 250x + 300y
= 250(30) + 300(30)
= 1, 650 pesos

Total Cost at P2 = 250x + 300y

= 250(40) + 300(20)
= 1, 600 pesos
The lowest cost to K-mist Chemical is at point P2. Hence the operations manager should produce
40 gallons of ethyl alcohol and 20 gallons of isopropyl alcohol with moisturizer.

15
More on Linear
Programming Problems

Try to solve the given LP

problem on your own.

You may check if your answers

are correct from the given
answer key.

Photo taken from https://www.pexels.com/photo/coronavirus-statistics-on-screen-3970331/

Try to solve this LP problem!

For this LP problem, do the following:

i. Formulate the Objective function and constrains from the given problem.
ii. Show the graph, identify the feasible region and label the coordinates of each corner
point of the feasible region.
iii. Identify the optimal solution from the obtained corner points.

1. A small manufacturer prepares two types of face masks each day (surgical mask
and KN95 masks) using the raw materials A and B. Suppose that each surgical
mask contains 20 cm2 of material A and 10 cm2 of material B, while each KN95
mask contains 10 cm2 of material A and 20 cm2 of material B. Suppose also that
the profit on each surgical mask is 8 pesos, and each KN95 mask costs 10 pesos.
If the production of two masks has 5000 cm2 of material A and 7000 cm2 of
material B available each day, how many surgical masks and how many KN95
masks should be made each day to maximize profit (assumed that the
manufacturer can sell all that is made)?

16
More on Linear
Programming Problems

Try to solve the given LP

problem on your own.

You may check if your answers

are correct from the given
answer key.

Photo taken from https://www.pexels.com/photo/analysis-blackboard-board-bubble-355952/

Try to solve these LP problems!

For the given LP problem, do the following:

i. Formulate the Objective function and constrains from the given problem.
ii. Show the graph, identify the feasible region and label the coordinates of each corner
point of the feasible region.
iii. Identify the optimal solution from the obtained corner points.

2. A manufacturer of a certain chemical product has two plants where the product
is made. Plant X can make at most 30 tons per week and plant Y can make at most
40 tons per week. The manufacturer wants to make a total of at least 50 tons per
week. The amount of particulate matter found weekly in the atmosphere over
nearby town is measured and found to be 20 pounds for each ton of the product
made by plant X and 30 pounds for each ton of the product made at plant Y. How
many tons should be made weekly at each plant to minimize the total amount of
particulate matter in the atmosphere?

17
 KEY TERMS

Constrains

Corner Point Solution

Decision Variables

Feasible Region

Graphical Solution

Linear Programing

Objective Function
 ANSWER KEY

Answers to the exercises

Pre-assessment Page 3

1. 2x + 3y = 6
3x - 4 y = 9

2. 4 x + 4 y = 21
-3x + 4 y = 21

3 4 1
3. x− y =
4 13 25
11 4 12
- x+ y =
3 21 7

3
4. 2020 x + y = −10
2
10
− 22 x − 23 y =
7

19
 ANSWER KEY

Answers to the exercises

Page 6

1. 2x + 3y  9
x- y 3

2. y  3x − 10
y  −2 x + 11

5 9
3. x− y+
2 2
5 12
x− y+
3 5

20
 ANSWER KEY

Answers to the exercises

Page 16

1. i. Let x be the number of surgical masks to be made and let y be

the number of KN95 masks to be made.
Objective Function:
Maximized Profit = 8x + 10y

Subject to the constraints:

20x + 10y ≤ 5000
10x + 20y ≤ 7000
x, y ≥ 0

ii. The graph and the coordinates of each corner point

of the feasible region

iii. Optimal Solution

P1 : (x = 0, y = 0) 8 pesos (0) + 10 pesos (0) = 0 peso
P2 : (x = 0, y = 350) 8 pesos (0) + 10 pesos (350) = 3,500 peso
P3 : (x = 100, y = 300) 8 pesos (100) + 10 pesos (300) = 3,800 pesos
P4 : (x = 250, y = 0) 8 pesos (250) + 10 pesos (0) = 2,000 pesos

Therefore, the optimal solution for the product mix is to

make 100 surgical masks and 300 KN95 masks to yield a
maximum profit of 3,800 pesos.
 ANSWER KEY

Answers to the exercises

Page 17

2. i. Let x be the number of tons of the product made in plant X

and let y be the number of tons of the product made in
plant Y.
Objective Function:
Minimized Total amount of particulate matter = 20x + 30y

Subject to the constraints:

x + y ≥ 50
x ≤ 30 ; y ≤ 40
x, y ≥ 0

ii. The graph and the coordinates of each corner point

of the feasible region

iii. Optimal Solution

P1 : (x = 10, y = 40) 20 tons (10) + 30 tons (40) = 1,400 tons
P2 : (x = 30, y = 40) 20 tons (30) + 30 tons (40) = 1,800 tons
P3 : (x = 30, y = 20) 20 tons (30) + 30 tons (20) = 1,200 tons

Therefore, the optimal solution for the problem is to

make 30 tons of chemicals in Plant A and 30 tons of
chemicals in Plant B to minimize the total amount of
particulate matter of 1,200 pounds in the atmosphere.
 REFERENCES

Akiyama, J. & Ruiz, M.J. (2008). A Day’s Adventure in Math

Wonderland. Singapore: World Scientific Publishing Co.
Pte. Ltd.

Aufmann, R.N., Lockwood, J.S., Nation, R.D., & Clegg, D.K. (2010).
Mathematical Excursions (2nd ed.). Australia:
Brooks/Cole Cengage Learning.

Desmos (2020). Introduction to the Desmos Graphing Calculator.

https://youtu.be/RKbZ3RoA-x4. Retrieved 2020, from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKbZ3RoA-
x4&feature=youtu.be

Learn Desmos: Inequalities. https://youtu.be/drD7u-

bxxQQ. Retrieved 2020, from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drD7u-bxxQQ&t=6s

Desmos Graphing Calculator. Accessed 2020, from

https://www.desmos.com/calculator

Emmanuel, J. (2018). LP Graphical Method.

https://youtu.be/q6xPMHry7Aw. Retrieved 2020, from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6xPMHry7Aw

Linear Programming 1: Maximization -Extreme/Corner

Points. https://youtu.be/0TD9EQcheZM. Retrieved 2020,
from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TD9EQcheZM

Nocon, R.C. & Nocon, E.G. (2016). Essential Mathematics for the
Modern World. Philippines: C & E Publishing

23