GRAPHICAL SOLUTION TO LINEAR PROGRAMMING : MATHEMATICS FOR ECONOMICS III

In our lecture one, we were able to see how a LPP can be formulated in a standard way. In this section we will see how a LPP can be solved using the graphical method. Graphical methods of solving Linear programming can only be used for problems with TWO unknowns or decision variables. Problems with THREE OR MORE unknowns must be solved by techniques such as the simplex method. Graphical methods are the simplest to use and should be used wherever possible. Graphical method can be used to solve both maximization and minimization problems. It can deal with limitations of the form ‘greater than or equal to’ type (൒ሻ , the ‘less than or equal to’ type. (൑ሻ, and even constraints of ‘equal to’( =) type. The following is a step by step procedure for solving LP maximisation problems graphically. In our lecture one, we were able to see how a LPP can be formulated in a standard way. In this section we will see how a LPP can be solved using the graphical method. Graphical methods of solving Linear programming can only be used for problems with TWO unknowns or decision variables. Problems with THREE OR MORE unknowns must be solved by techniques such as the simplex method. Graphical methods are the simplest to use and should be used wherever possible. Graphical method can be used to solve both maximization and minimization problems. It can deal with limitations of the form ‘greater than or equal to’ type (൒ሻ , the ‘less than or equal to’ type. (൑ሻ, and even constraints of ‘equal to’( =) type. The following is a step by step procedure for solving LP maximisation problems graphically.