309 Terms Flashcards
A situation in which more than one optimal solution is possible. It arises when the angle or slope of the objective is the same as the slope of the constraint.
Alternative Optimal Solution
Cells that represent the decision variables in Solver.
Changing Cell
A restriction (stated in the form of an inequality of an equation) that inhibits (or binds) the value that can be achieved by the objective function.
Constraint
A point that lies on one of the corner of the feasible region. This means that it falls at the intersection of two constraint lines.
Corner (or Extreme) Point
The method of finding the optimal solution to an LP problem that involves testing the profit or cost level at each corner point of the feasible region. The theory of LP states that the optimal solution must lie at one of the corner points.
Corner Point Method
The unknown quantities in a problem for which optimal solution values are to be found.
Decision Variable
The area that satisfies all of a problem’s resource restrictions—that is, the region where all constraint overlap. All possible solutions to the problem lie in the feasible region.
Feasible Region
Any point that lies outside the feasible region. It violates one or more of the stated constraints.
Infeasible Solution
A straight line that represents all nonnegative combinations of the decision variable for a particular profit (or cost) level.
Level (Iso) Line
The general category of mathematical modeling and solution techniques used to allocate resources while optimizing a measurable goal; LP is one type of programming model.
Mathematical Programming
A mathematical statement of the goal of an organization, stated as an intent to maximize or minimize some important quantity, such as profit or cost.
Objective Function
A common LP problem that involves a decision as to which products a firm should produce given that it faces limited resources.
Product Mix Problem
A constraint that does not affect the feasible solution region.
Redundant Constraint
An iteractive procedure for solving LP problems.
Simplex Method
The difference between the right-hand-side and left-hand-side of a ≤ constraint. Slack typically represents the unused resource.
Slack
An Excel add-in that allows LP problems to be set up and solved in Excel.
Solver
The difference between the left-hand-side and right-hand-side of a ≥ constraint. Surplus typically represents the level of oversatisfaction of a requirement.
Surplus
The cell that contains the formula for the objective function in Solver
Target Cell
A condition that exists when the objective value can be made infinitely large (in a maximization problem) or small (in a minimization problem) without violating any of the problem’s constraints.
Unbounded Solution
The coefficient for a decision variable in the objective function. Typically, this refers to unit profit or unit cost.
Objective Function Coefficient
The difference between the marginal contribution to the objective function value from the inclusion of a decision variable and the marginal worth of the resources it consumes. IN the case of a decison variable that has an optimal value of zero, it is also the minimum amount by which the OFC of that variable should change before it would have a nonzero optimal value.
Reduced Cost
The study of how sensitive an optimal solution is to model assumptions and to data changes. Also referred to as postoptimality analysis.
Sensitivity Analysis
The magnitude of the change in the objective function value for a unit increase in the RHS of a constraint.
Shadow Price
The difference between the RHS and LHS of a ≤ constraint. Typically represents the unused resource.
Slack
The difference between the LHS and RHS of a ≥ constraint. Typically represents the level of oversatisfication of a requirement.
Surplus
Decision variables that are required to have integer values of either 0 or 1. Also called 0-1 variables.
Binary Variables
An algorithm used by Solver and other software to solve IP problems. It divides the set of feasible solutions into subregions that are examined systematically.
Branch-and-Bound Method
Decision variables that are required to be integer valued. Actual values of these variables are restricted only by the constraints in the problem.
General Integer Variables
A mathematical programming technique that produces integer solutions to LP problems.
Integer Programming
A category of problems in which some decision variables must have integer values (either general integer or binary) and other decision variables can have fractional values.
Mixed Integer Programming
The minimum guaranteed amount one is willing to accept to avoid the risk associated with a gamble.
Certainty Equivalent
A number from 0 to 1 such that when α is close to 1, the decision criterion is optimistic, and when α is close to zero, the decision criterion is pessimistic.
Coefficient of Realism
A course of action or a strategy that can be chosen by a decision maker.
Decision Alternative
A decision-making environment in which several outcomes can occur as a result of a decision or alternative. Probabilities of the outcomes are known.
Decision Making Under Risk
A decision-making environment in which several outcomes can occur. Probabilities of these outcomes, however, are not known.
Decision Making under Uncertainty
A table in which decision alternatives are listed down the rows and outcomes are listed across the columns. The body of the table contain the payoff.
Decision Table