Guides in the application of linear programming to firm decision making, with the goal of giving decision-makers a better understanding of methods at their disposal Useful as a main resource or as a supplement in an economics or management science course, this comprehensive book addresses the deficiencies of other texts when it comes to covering linear programming theory—especially where data envelopment analysis (DEA) is concerned—and provides the foundation for the development of DEA. Linear Programming and Resource Allocation Modeling begins by introducing primal and dual problems via an optimum product mix problem, and reviews the rudiments of vector and matrix operations. It then goes on to cover: the canonical and standard forms of a linear programming problem; the computational aspects of linear programming; variations of the standard simplex theme; duality theory; single- and multiple- process production functions; sensitivity analysis of the optimal solution; structural changes; and parametric programming. The primal and dual problems are then reformulated and re-examined in the context of Lagrangian saddle points, and a host of duality and complementary slackness theorems are offered. The book also covers primal and dual quadratic programs, the complementary pivot method, primal and dual linear fractional functional programs, and (matrix) game theory solutions via linear programming, and data envelopment analysis (DEA). This book: Appeals to those wishing to solve linear optimization problems in areas such as economics, business administration and management, agriculture and energy, strategic planning, public decision making, and health care Fills the need for a linear programming applications component in a management science or economics course Provides a complete treatment of linear programming as applied to activity selection and usage Contains many detailed example problems as well as textual and graphical explanations Linear Programming and Resource Allocation Modeling is an excellent resource for professionals looking to solve linear optimization problems, and advanced undergraduate to beginning graduate level management science or economics students.

Guides in the application of linear programming to firm decision making, with the goal of giving decision-makers a better understanding of methods at their disposal Useful as a main resource or as a supplement in an economics or management science course, this comprehensive book addresses the deficiencies of other texts when it comes to covering linear programming theory—especially where data envelopment analysis (DEA) is concerned—and provides the foundation for the development of DEA. Linear Programming and Resource Allocation Modeling begins by introducing primal and dual problems via an optimum product mix problem, and reviews the rudiments of vector and matrix operations. It then goes on to cover: the canonical and standard forms of a linear programming problem; the computational aspects of linear programming; variations of the standard simplex theme; duality theory; single- and multiple- process production functions; sensitivity analysis of the optimal solution; structural changes; and parametric programming. The primal and dual problems are then reformulated and re-examined in the context of Lagrangian saddle points, and a host of duality and complementary slackness theorems are offered. The book also covers primal and dual quadratic programs, the complementary pivot method, primal and dual linear fractional functional programs, and (matrix) game theory solutions via linear programming, and data envelopment analysis (DEA). This book: Appeals to those wishing to solve linear optimization problems in areas such as economics, business administration and management, agriculture and energy, strategic planning, public decision making, and health care Fills the need for a linear programming applications component in a management science or economics course Provides a complete treatment of linear programming as applied to activity selection and usage Contains many detailed example problems as well as textual and graphical explanations Linear Programming and Resource Allocation Modeling is an excellent resource for professionals looking to solve linear optimization problems, and advanced undergraduate to beginning graduate level management science or economics students.

Since the late 1940s, linear programming models have been used for many different purposes. Airline companies apply these models to optimize their use of planes and staff. NASA has been using them for years to optimize their use of limited resources. Oil companies use them to optimize their refinery operations. Small and medium-sized businesses use linear programming to solve a huge variety of problems, often involving resource allocation. In my study, a typical product-mix problem in a manufacturing system producing two products (each product consists of two sub-assemblies) is solved for ist optimal solution through the use of the latest versions of MATLAB having the command simlp, which is very much like linprog. As analysts, we try to find a good enough solution for the decision maker to make a final decision. Our attempt is to give the mathematical description of the product-mix optimization problem and bring the problem into a form ready to call MATLAB’s simlp command. The objective of this study is to find the best product mix that maximizes profit. The graph obtained using MATLAB commands, give the shaded area enclosed by the constraints called the feasible region, which is the set of points satisfying all the constraints. To find the optimal solution we look at the lines of equal profit to find the corner of the feasible region which yield the highest profit. This corner can be found out at the farthest line of equal profit, which still touches the feasible region. The most critical part is the sensitivity analysis, using Excel Solver, and Parametric Analysis, using computer software, which allows us to study the effect on optimal solution due to discrete and continuous change in parameters of the LP model including to identify bottlenecks. We have examined other options like product outsourcing, one-time cost, cross training of one operator, manufacturing of hypothetical third product on under-utilized machines and optimal sequencing of jobs on machines.

Since the late 1940s, linear programming models have been used for many different purposes. Airline companies apply these models to optimize their use of planes and staff. NASA has been using them for many years to optimize their use of limited resources. Oil companies use them to optimize their refinery operations. Small and medium-sized businesses use linear programming to solve a huge variety of problems, often involving resource allocation. In my study, a typical product-mix problem in a manufacturing system producing two products (each product consists of two sub-assemblies) is solved for its optimal solution through the use of the latest versions of MATLAB having the command simlp, which is very much like linprog. As analysts, we try to find a good enough solution for the decision maker to make a final decision. Our attempt is to give the mathematical description of the product-mix optimization problem and bring the problem into a form ready to call MATLAB’s simlp command. The objective of this study is to find the best product mix that maximizes profit. The graph obtained using MATLAB commands, give the shaded area enclosed by the constraints called the feasible region, which is the set of points satisfying all the constraints. To find the optimal solution we look at the lines of equal profit to find the corner of the feasible region which yield the highest profit. This corner can be found out at the farthest line of equal profit, which still touches the feasible region. The most critical part is the sensitivity analysis, using Excel Solver, and Parametric Analysis, using computer software, which allows us to study the effect on optimal solution due to discrete and continuous change in parameters of the LP model including to identify bottlenecks. We have examined other options like product outsourcing, one-time cost, cross training of one operator, manufacturing of hypothetical third product on under-utilized machines and optimal sequencing of jobs on machines.

This proceedings volume contains selected and refereed contributions that were presented at the conference on "Recent Developments and New Perspectives of Operations Research in the Area of Production Planning and Control" in Hagen/Germany, 25. - 26. June 1992. This conference was organized with the cooperation of the FernuniversiHit Hagen and was jointly hosted by the "Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Operations Research (DGOR)" and the "Manufacturing Special Interest Group of the Operations Research Society of America (ORSA-SIGMA)". For the organization of the conference we received generous financial support from the sponsors listed at the end of this volume. We wish to express our appreciation to all supporters for their contributions. This conference was the successor of the JOInt ORSA/DGOR-conference in Gaithersburg/Maryland, USA, on the 30. and 31. July 1991. Both OR-societies committed themselves in 1989 to host joint conferences on special topics of interest from the field of operations research. This goal has been successfully realized in the area of production management; and it should be an incentive to conduct similar joint conferences on other topics of operations research in the years to come. The 36 contributions in this proceedings volume deal with general and special problems in production planning as well as approaches and algorithms for their solution. They cover a wide range of operations research within product management and will therefore address a wide circle of interested readers among OR-scientists and professionals alike.

A complete and accessible introduction to the real-world applications of approximate dynamic programming With the growing levels of sophistication in modern-day operations, it is vital for practitioners to understand how to approach, model, and solve complex industrial problems. Approximate Dynamic Programming is a result of the author's decades of experience working in large industrial settings to develop practical and high-quality solutions to problems that involve making decisions in the presence of uncertainty. This groundbreaking book uniquely integrates four distinct disciplines—Markov design processes, mathematical programming, simulation, and statistics—to demonstrate how to successfully model and solve a wide range of real-life problems using the techniques of approximate dynamic programming (ADP). The reader is introduced to the three curses of dimensionality that impact complex problems and is also shown how the post-decision state variable allows for the use of classical algorithmic strategies from operations research to treat complex stochastic optimization problems. Designed as an introduction and assuming no prior training in dynamic programming of any form, Approximate Dynamic Programming contains dozens of algorithms that are intended to serve as a starting point in the design of practical solutions for real problems. The book provides detailed coverage of implementation challenges including: modeling complex sequential decision processes under uncertainty, identifying robust policies, designing and estimating value function approximations, choosing effective stepsize rules, and resolving convergence issues. With a focus on modeling and algorithms in conjunction with the language of mainstream operations research, artificial intelligence, and control theory, Approximate Dynamic Programming: Models complex, high-dimensional problems in a natural and practical way, which draws on years of industrial projects Introduces and emphasizes the power of estimating a value function around the post-decision state, allowing solution algorithms to be broken down into three fundamental steps: classical simulation, classical optimization, and classical statistics Presents a thorough discussion of recursive estimation, including fundamental theory and a number of issues that arise in the development of practical algorithms Offers a variety of methods for approximating dynamic programs that have appeared in previous literature, but that have never been presented in the coherent format of a book Motivated by examples from modern-day operations research, Approximate Dynamic Programming is an accessible introduction to dynamic modeling and is also a valuable guide for the development of high-quality solutions to problems that exist in operations research and engineering. The clear and precise presentation of the material makes this an appropriate text for advanced undergraduate and beginning graduate courses, while also serving as a reference for researchers and practitioners. A companion Web site is available for readers, which includes additional exercises, solutions to exercises, and data sets to reinforce the book's main concepts.

An incredible volume of data is generated at a very high speed within the supply chain and it is necessary to understand, use and effectively apply the knowledge learned from analyzing data using intelligent business models. However, practitioners and students in the field of supply chain management face a number of challenges when dealing with business models and mathematical modelling. Supply Chain Analytics and Modelling presents a range of business analytics models used within the supply chain to help readers develop knowledge on a variety of topics to overcome common issues. Supply Chain Analytics and Modelling covers areas including supply chain planning, single and multi-objective optimization, demand forecasting, product allocations, end-to-end supply chain simulation, vehicle routing and scheduling models. Learning is supported by case studies of specialist software packages for each example. Readers will also be provided with a critical view on how supply chain management performance measurement systems have been developed and supported by reliable and accurate data available in the supply chain. Online resources including lecturer slides are available.