Chapter 1: Basic Concepts

Question 1

What are the 3 key questions in formulating any spread sheet model?

Answer 1

What are the decisions to be made?
What are the constraints to the decision?
What is the overall measure of performance for these decisions?

Question 2

What is linear programming?

Answer 2

The planning of activities represented by a linear mathematical model. It helps find the best product mix.

Question 3

What are the four types of cells used in linear programming spread sheet models?

Answer 3

Data cells
Changing cells
Output cells
Objective/target cells

Question 4

What are data cells?

Answer 4

They are cells that show the data that was in the original word problem.

Question 5

What are changing cells?

Answer 5

Cells that contain the decisions to be made.

Question 6

What are output cells?

Answer 6

Output cells show quantities that are calculated from the changing cells.

Question 7

What are objective or target cells?

Answer 7

Cells that contain the overall measure of performance for the decisions in the changing cells.

Question 8

What is the use of the sumproduct function?

Answer 8

To sum up the products

Question 9

What are the steps to formulate a linear programming model on a spread sheet?

Answer 9

1) Gather data from the problem.
2) Enter the data into data cells on in excel.
3) Identify the decisions to be made on the levels of activities and designate changing cells.
4) Identify constraints and create output cells.
5) choose the overall measure of performance to be entered into the objective/target cells.
6) Use a SUMPRODUCT FUNCTION.

Question 10

What is the form of the Excel formula for each output cell when formulating such a linear prog. model?

Answer 10

SUMPRODUCT

Question 11

What is the objective function?

Answer 11

It is the answer you wish to obtain from the problem.

Question 12

What are nonnegativity constraints?

Answer 12

The are constraints that can’t be negative..such as creating -1 of a door., usually they are the variables in the solution.

Question 13

What are functional constraints?

Answer 13

They are the variables that are not part of the solution.

Question 14

What are parameters?

Answer 14

The constraints in the algebraic model.

Question 15

What is a solution?

Answer 15

Any choice of values for the decision variables.

Question 16

What is a feasible solution?

Answer 16

An answer that satisfies all the constraints.

Question 17

What is an infeasible solution?

Answer 17

An answer that violates at least one constraint.

Question 18

What is an optimal solution?

Answer 18

The best feasible solution.

Question 19

What is an objective function line?

Answer 19

For a linear programming problem with two decision variables, a line whose points all have the same value of the objective function.

Question 20

What is the feasible region on a graph?

Answer 20

the region of the graph that satisfies all the constraints.

Question 21

What is a constraint boundary line?

Answer 21

The graphical line that is produced from the constraint boundary equation.

Question 22

What is a constraint boundary equation?

Answer 22

The constraint boundary equation is the equation that is gained when an inequality sign is switched with an equal sign.

Question 23

What is an absolute reference?

Answer 23

a reference to a cell with a fixed address, as indicated by using a range name or by placing a $ in from of the letter and number of the cell reference.

Question 24

What is a relative reference?

Answer 24

a reference to a cell whose address is based upon its position relative to the cell containing the formula.