A.

3 Unsolvable Linear Programs

Review Questions

Lesson Topics
Blending (2) Problems are Linear Programming
Profit Maximization problems when additional inputs
may be bought. Blending Problems thus help blend
resources to maximize profit or to minimize cost.
Non-Unique Optimal Solutions (1) of a linear
program mean there are either alternative optimal
solutions, no solutions because it is infeasible, or no
solutions because the objective can be infinite.
Blending with Mixed Constraints help blend
resources (grass seeds, desserts, horse food, )
when constraints restrict permissible blends by a
mixture of minimal and maximal characteristics.

A.3 Unsolvable Linear Programs

Review Questions

A.3 Blending
Question. The Sanders Garden Shop mixes two
types of grass seed into a blend. Each type of grass
has been rated (per pound) according to its shade
tolerance, ability to stand up to traffic, and drought
resistance, as shown in the table.
Type A

Type B

Shade
Tolerance
Traffic
Resistance
Drought
Resistance

Type A seed costs $1 and Type B seed costs $2.

If the blend needs to score at least 30 points for shade tolerance, 40 points
for traffic resistance, and 75 points for drought resistance, how many
pounds of each seed should be in the blend? Which target scores will be
exceeded? (And by how much?) How much will the blend cost?

A.3 Unsolvable Linear Programs

Review Questions

Answer to Question:
Let A = the pounds of Type A seed in the blend
Let B = the pounds of Type B seed in the blend
Min 1A + 2B
s.t. 1A + 1B
2A + 1B
2A + 5B
A, B

30
40
75
0

0
0

The graph shows optimal solution occurs where the first and third
constraints bind. Solving the binding form of those two constraints yields
the optimal solution: A = 25, B = 5.
Answers: How many pounds of each seed should be in the blend? 25
pounds of Type A seed, and 5 pounds of Type B seed.
Which target scores will be exceeded? Constraint 2 has a surplus value of
15, so theTraffic Resistance target is exceeded by 15.
How much will the blend cost? The cost is $35.

A.3 Unsolvable Linear Programs

Review Questions

Blending
Question. Applied technology, Inc. (ATI), produces
bicycle frames using two fiberglass materials that
improve the strength to weight ratio for the frames.
The cost of the standard grade material is $2 per yard
and the cost of the professional grade material is $4 per yard. The standard
and professional grade materials contain different amounts of fiberglass,
carbon fiber, and Kevlar as shown in the following table:

Fiberglass
Carbon Fiber
Kevlar

Standard Grade
80%
10%
10%

Professional Grade
53.33%
30%
16.67%

ATI signed a contract with a bicycle manufacturer to produce a new frame

with a carbon fiber content of at least 20% and a Kevlar content of not
greater than 10%. To meet the required weight specification, a total of 30
yards of material must be used for each frame.
a. Formulate a linear program to determine the number of yards of each
grade of fiberglass material that ATI should use in each frame in
order to minimize total cost. Define the decision variables and
indicate the purpose of each constraint.
b. Graphically solve the linear-programming problem if you do not
require that yards of material must be integers (instead, that yards of
material must are continuous variables).
Tip: Your written answer should define the decision variables, formulate the
objective and constraints, and solve for the optimum. --- You will not earn
full credit if you just solve for the optimum; you must also define the
decision variables, and formulate the objective and constraints.

A.3 Unsolvable Linear Programs

Review Questions

Answer to Question:
Let S = yards of the standard grade material per frame
P = yards of the professional grade material per frame
Min

2S

4P

0.10S

0.30P

0.10S

0.1667P

s.t.
>

< 3
=

30

Carbon fiber (at least

20% of 30 yards)
Kevlar (no more than
10% of 30 yards)
Material

S, P > 0
Graphing the constraints indicates the feasible set is empty, so there is no
optimum.
Standard S on horizontal axis
Professional on vertical axis
Carbon Requirement, through (60,0) and (0,20)
Kevlar Requirement, through (30,0) and (0,18)
Material Constraint, though (30,0) and (0,30)
Dashed sample isovalue line, slope of
Feasible set is empty

30
25
20
15
10
5
0
0

10

20

30

40

50

60

A.3 Unsolvable Linear Programs

Review Questions

Non-Unique Optimal Solutions

Question. Wilson Sporting Goods manufactures a
standard-size racket and an oversize racket. The
firms rackets are extremely light due to the use of a
magnesium-graphite alloy that was invented by the
firms founder. Each standard-size racket uses 0.1 kilograms of the alloy
and each oversize racket uses 0.4 kilograms; over the next two-week
production period only 80 kilograms of the alloy are available. Each
standard-size racket uses 10 minutes of manufacturing time an each
oversize racket uses 12 minutes. The profit contribution are $5 for each
standard-size racket and $6 for each oversize racket, and 40 hours of
manufacturing time are available each week. Management specified that at
least 30% of the total production of rackets must be the standard-size
racket. Assume that because of the unique nature of their products, Wilson
can sell as many rackets as they can produce.
Formulate the problem of how many rackets of each type to manufacture
over the next two weeks to maximize the total profit contribution. Compute
all optimal solutions without a computer.
Answer to Question:

A.3 Unsolvable Linear Programs

Review Questions

Answer to Question:
Let S = number of standard size rackets produced every 2 weeks
V = number of oversize size rackets produced every 2 weeks
Max

5S

6V

0.7S

0.3V

>

10S

12V

<

4800

0.1S

0.4V

<

80

S, V

>

s.t.
% standard
Time (min./2 weeks)
Alloy

(The time constraint in hours, rather than minutes, reads, 0.167S + 0.2V <
80.) Graphing the constraints and isovalue lines indicates there are
multiple optimal solutions. That consists of all points on a line segment.
One end of the segment is where the second and third constraints bind
(10S+12V= 4800 and 0.1S+0.4V= 80), so (S,V) = (342.86,114.29). The
other end of the segment is where the second constraint and the nonnegativity of V bind (10S+12V=4800 and V= 0), so (S,V) = (480,0).
600

Standard S on horizontal axis

500

Oversize V on vertical axis

First constraint, through (0,0) and (300,700)

400

Second constraint, through (480,0) and (0,400)

300

Third constraint, through (800,0) and (0,200)

200
Feasible Region

100
0
0

100

200

300

400

500
7

600

700

800