Purpose Assesses Your Abilities To Build Linear Programming

Purposeassesses Your Abilities To Build Linear Programming Models An

Assess your abilities to build linear programming models and solve them. You will demonstrate your skills in using linear programming to model real-life case studies. You will consider cases with two variables and solve them using the graphical method. For problems with more than two variables, you will solve the linear programming models you built using software such as R. Additionally, you will explore game theory, focusing on two-player zero-sum games, to construct models that describe various game scenarios. You will investigate the existence of equilibrium (stable solutions), utilize mixed models to find solutions, and apply appropriate software to solve these models.

In this assignment, you will analyze three specific case studies: a manufacturing optimization problem, a production planning problem for various cereals, and a strategic game between two players involving chips in piles. Each case requires formulating linear programming models, solving using graphical or software methods, and interpreting results, including sensitivity analysis where applicable.

Paper For Above instruction

Introduction

Linear programming (LP) is a powerful mathematical technique used for optimization, enabling decision-makers to maximize profits or minimize costs subject to resource constraints. Its relevance spans manufacturing, production planning, and strategic game theory scenarios. This paper explores three case studies illustrating the application of LP and game theory—highlighting model formulation, solution techniques, and interpretation of results.

Case Study 1: Manufacturing Optimization for Dresses and Coats

The first case involves a factory producing dresses and coats, with constraints related to workforce, time, and demand. The primary goal is to determine the optimal daily production quantities to maximize profit while satisfying resource constraints. This problem is suitable for linear programming because it involves linear relationships between variables, resources, and objectives.

Using LP allows the factory to systematically evaluate production options, considering hours worked, workforce limits, and demand constraints. The model's linear nature — with an objective function representing profit and constraints representing resource limitations — makes it a prime candidate for solution via graphical and computational methods.

Formulation of the LP Model

Let x₁ be the number of dresses produced per day, and x₂ the number of coats. The profit per unit is given, and time constraints are based on minutes per unit for each garment. The parameters are defined as follows:

• Profit per dress: $p_d$; profit per coat: $p_c$
• Time per dress in minutes: t_d; per coat: t_c
• Number of workers in each department: Cutting (25), Sewing (52), Packaging (14)
• Working hours per day: 8 hours = 480 minutes
• Demand constraint: at least 120 dresses per day

The objective function to maximize profit is:

Maximize Z = p_d x₁ + p_c x₂

Subject to resource constraints, such as:

• Cutting time: t_d x₁ + t_c x₂ ≤ total cutting hours
• Seaming and packaging constraints similarly modeled
• Demand constraint: x₁ ≥ 120
• Non-negativity: x₁, x₂ ≥ 0

Graphical solution involves plotting feasible regions defined by constraints and identifying the point where the profit is maximized. The feasible region is typically a convex polygon, with vertices evaluated to find the optimal solution.

Analysis indicates the maximum profit at a specific combination of dresses and coats, with sensitivity analysis revealing the range of dress profit where this solution remains optimal.

Case Study 2: Production Planning of Cereals

In the second case, a food producer creates cereals A, B, and C using ingredients with limited availability. The goal is to maximize profit by determining the optimal number of boxes to produce while satisfying ingredient constraints and minimum demand levels.

Decision variables are:

• Let x_A, x_B, and x_C be the number of boxes of cereals A, B, and C produced.

The LP model aims to maximize profit:

Maximize Z = 2.60 x_A + 2.30 x_B + 3.20 x_C

Subject to ingredient constraints based on the proportion of each ingredient in cereals (e.g., proportion of oats, raisins, etc.), as well as minimum demand constraints and ingredient availability, such as:

• Oats usage: a linear combination of cereal proportions ≤ total oats available
• Similarly for raisins, apricots, and hazelnuts
• Minimum demand constraints: x_A ≥ minimum, x_B ≥ minimum, x_C ≥ minimum
• Non-negativity constraints: x_A, x_B, x_C ≥ 0

Using R and linear programming packages (e.g., lpSolve), the optimal production numbers are computed, alongside the amounts of ingredients required for each cereal. The solution allows the producer to maximize profit under resource constraints, providing actionable production schedules.

Case Study 3: Two-Player Zero-Sum Game Involving Chips

The third case involves a strategic game where Alice and John allocate chips into two piles each, and their scores depend on pairwise comparisons. This scenario is modeled as a zero-sum game because one player's gain corresponds exactly to the other's loss.

Reasons for modeling this as a zero-sum game include the direct opposition of interests and the symmetry of points scored. The outcome depends solely on the strategy profiles of both players, where each aims to maximize their own payoff while minimizing the opponent’s.

Payoff Matrix and Saddle Point

The game’s payoff matrix is constructed by enumerating possible chip distributions and calculating the resulting scores for Alice and John. A saddle point exists if a cell in the payoff matrix is the minimal in its row and the maximal in its column. If a saddle point exists, it indicates an equilibrium or stable solution.

Using linear programming, mixed strategies are derived to determine the optimal allocation of chips, balancing the probabilities to maximize expected payoffs. The LP formulation involves variables representing the mixed strategies, constraints ensuring probabilities sum to 1, and objective functions maximizing the game value.

Solving this LP in R (e.g., using the lpSolve package) yields the optimal mixed strategy for Alice, indicating how she should distribute her chips to maximize her chances of winning.

Conclusion

The application of linear programming and game theory across diverse scenarios underscores their versatility in solving complex, resource-constrained, and strategic problems. Whether optimizing manufacturing processes, planning product mixes, or finding equilibrium in competitive games, these mathematical tools provide robust, actionable solutions that enhance decision-making efficiency.

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