HalleFiagle

March72015
Math1010
Clawson

BackgroundInformation:
LinearProgrammingisatechniqueusedforoptimizationofarealworldsituation.Examples
ofoptimizationincludemaximizingthenumberofitemsthatcanbemanufacturedor
minimizingthecostofproduction.Theequationthatrepresentsthequantitytobeoptimized
iscalledtheobjectivefunction,sincetheobjectiveoftheprocessistooptimizethevalue.In
thisprojecttheobjectiveistomaximizethenumberofpeoplewhowillbereachedbyan
advertisingcampaign.
Theobjectiveissubjecttolimitationsorconstraintsthatarerepresentedbyinequalities.
Limitationsonthenumberofitemsthatcanbeproduced,thenumberofhoursthatworkers
areavailable,andtheamountoflandafarmerhasforcropsareexamplesofconstraintsthat
canberepresentedusinginequalities.Broadcastinganinfinitenumberofadvertisementsis
notarealisticgoal.Inthisprojectoneoftheconstraintswillbebasedonanadvertising
budget.
Graphingthesystemofinequalitiesbasedontheconstraintsprovidesavisualrepresentation
ofthepossiblesolutionstotheproblem.Ifthegraphisaclosedregion,itcanbeshownthat
thevaluesthatoptimizetheobjectivefunctionwilloccuratoneofthe"corners"oftheregion.

TheProblem:
Inthisprojectyourgroupwillsolvethefollowingsituation:
Alocalbusinessplansonadvertisingtheirnewproductbypurchasingadvertisementsonthe
radioandonTV.Thebusinessplanstopurchaseatleast60totaladsandtheywanttohave
atleasttwiceasmanyTVadsasradioads.Radioadscost$20eachandTVadscost$80
each.Theadvertisingbudgetis$4320.Itisestimatedthateachradioadwillbeheardby
2000listenersandeachTVadwillbeseenby1500people.Howmanyofeachtypeofad
shouldbepurchasedtomaximizethenumberofpeoplewhowillbereachedbythe
advertisements?

ModelingtheProblem:
LetXbethenumberofradioadsthatarepurchasedandYbethenumberofTVads.
1.
Writedownalinearinequalityforthetotalnumberofdesiredads.

x+y 60

2.Writedownalinearinequalityforthecostoftheads.

20x + 80y 4320 = x + 4y 216

3.RecallthatthebusinesswantsatleasttwiceasmanyTVadsasradioads.Writedowna
linearinequalitythatexpressesthisfact.

2x y

4.Therearetwomoreconstraintsthatmustbemet.Theserelatetothefactthatthere
cannotbesnegativenumbersofadvertisements.Writethetwoinequalitiesthatmodelthese
constraints:

0 x0 y

5.Next,writedownthefunctionforthenumberofpeoplethatwillbeexposedtothe
advertisements.ThisistheObjectiveFunctionfortheproblem.

P= 2000x + 1500y = 500(4x + 3y)

Younowhavefourlinearinequalitiesandanobjectivefunction.Thesetogetherdescribethe
situation.Thiscombinedsetofinequalitiesandobjectivefunctionmakeupwhatisknown
mathematicallyasalinearprogrammingproblem.Writealloftheinequalitiesandthe
objectivefunctiontogetherbelow.Thisistypicallywrittenasalistofconstraints,withthe
objectivefunctionlast.

x + y 60
x + 4y 216
2x y
0 x
0 y
p = 2000x + 1500y = 500(4x + 3y)

6.Tosolvethisproblem,youwillneedtographtheintersectionofallfiveinequalitiesonone
commonXYplane.Dothisonthegridbelow.Havethebottomleftbetheorigin,withthe
horizontalaxisrepresentingXandtheverticalaxisrepresentingY.Labeltheaxeswithwhat
theyrepresentandlabelyourlinesasyougraphthem.

7.Theshadedregionintheabovegraphiscalledthefeasibleregion.Any(x,y)pointinthe
regioncorrespondstoapossiblenumberofradioandTVadsthatwillmeetallthe
requirementsoftheproblem.However,thevaluesthatwillmaximizethenumberofpeople
exposedtotheadswilloccuratoneoftheverticesorcornersoftheregion.Yourregion
shouldhavethreecorners.Findthecoordinatesofthesecornersbysolvingtheappropriate
systemoflinearequations.Besuretoshowyourworkandlabelthe(x,y)coordinatesofthe
cornersinyourgraph.

x + 4y = 216 x + y = 60 (x + y = 60)4 4x + 4y = 240

2x = y x + 2x = 60 x + 4y = 216 = (x + 4y = 216)
3x = 60 = 3x/3 = 60 = 3 3x = 24
x + 4(2x) = 216 = x = 20 3x/3 = 24/3
x + 8x = 216 = x = 8
9x = 216 = 2(20) = y x + y = 60
9x/9 = 216/9 = y = 40 ( 8 6) + y = 60 6
2(24) = y = 48 y = 52
x = 20
x = 24 y = 40 x = 8
y = 48 y = 52

8.TofindwhichnumberofradioandTVadswillmaximizethenumberofpeoplewhoare
exposedtothebusinessadvertisements,evaluatetheobjectivefunctionPforeachofthe
verticesyoufound.Showyourwork.

p(20,40)=500(4(20)+3(40))=500(8+120)=500x200=100,000
p(24,48)=500(4(24)+3(48))=500(96+144)=500x240=120,000
p(8,52)=500(4(8)+3(52))=500(32+156)=500x188=94,000

9.Writeasentencedescribinghowmanyofeachtypeofadvertisementshouldbepurchased
andwhatisthemaximumnumberofpeoplewhowillbeexposedtothead.

24radioadsand48tvadsshouldbebought.Themaximumnumberofpeoplethat
wouldbeexposedtotheadsis120,000.

10.ReflectiveWriting.
Didthisprojectchangethewayyouthinkabouthowmathcanbeappliedtotherealworld?
Writeoneparagraphstatingwhatideaschangedandwhy.Ifthisprojectdidnotchangethe
wayyouthink,writehowthisprojectgavefurtherevidencetosupportyourexistingopinion
aboutapplyingmath.Bespecific.

ThischangedthewaythatIthinkaboutmathbecausethenumberonequestionasked
is,WhenwillIeverusethisinreallife?Whenmarketingadvertisersareinasituationlike
this,youneedtobeasaccurateasyoucan.Trialanderrordoesnotwork.Youhavetoknow
algebraicelementstofindthebestpossiblesolutiontoaproblembecausethereisalotof
moneyinvestedandyouwanttouseyourbudgettogetthebestresultspossible.