Linear Programming

By Boyd Malilwe Hamulondo

B.Ed. Mathematics (Cand.)
 Linear
Inequations
 Graphing Linear Inequalities

There is a simple graphical

representation for linear inequalities of
two variables:
ax  by  c  0
ax  by  c  0
ax  by  c  0
ax  by  c  0
 Procedure for Graphing Linear Inequalities

 Draw the graph of the equation

obtained for the given inequality by
replacing the inequality sign with an
equal sign.
Use a dashed or dotted line if the
problem involves a strict
inequality, < or >.
Otherwise, use a solid line to
indicate that the line itself
constitutes part of the solution.
 Procedure for Graphing Linear Inequalities

Pick a test point lying in one of

the half-planes determined by the
line sketched in step 1 and
substitute the values of x and y
into the given inequality.
✦Use the origin whenever
possible.
 Procedure for Graphing Linear Inequalities

If the inequality is satisfied, the

graph of the inequality includes
the half-plane containing the test
point.
Otherwise, the solution
includes the half-plane not
containing the test point.
 Example 1

Solve the inequation 3x – 1 < 2x +5;

x ∈ R and draw the graph of its
solution set.

Solution
3x – 1 < 2x + 5
3x – 2x < 5 + 1
x<6
The line x = 6 is the boundary
between the wanted region (the
solution set) and the unwanted
region.
Since the points on the line x = 6
are not included in the solution set
the line x = 6, is broken.
 6 y
5
4
3
x<6
2
1

-6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 1 2 3 4 5 6
x
-1
-2

-3

-4
-5

-6
x=6
 Example 2

Solve the inequation 5 - 3y ≥ 10 – 4y;

y ∈ R and draw the graph of its
solution set.

5 - 3y ≥ 10 – 4y
- 3y +4y ≥ 10 – 5
y≥ 5
In the figure below, y = 5 is the
boundary line between the
required region and the unwanted
region.
The line is continuous because it is
part of the required line.
The solution set is the unshaded
region.
 y
y≥5
(6,6)
6
5
4
3

2
1

-6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 1 2 3 4 5 6
x
-1
-2

-3

-4
-5

-6
 Example 3
Determine the solution set for
the inequality 2x + 3 y  6.
Solution
Replacing the inequality 
with an equality =, we obtain
the equation 2x + 3y = 6, whose
graph is:
 y
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1

-9 -8 -7 -6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 x
-1
-2
-3
-4
-5
-6 2x + 3y = 6
-7
-8
Picking the origin as a
test point, we find
2(0) + 3(0)  6, or 0  6,
which is false.
Thus, the solution set
is:
 y
8
7
6
5
4
3 2x + 3 y  6
2
1 (0, 0)
-9 -8 -7 -6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 x
-1
-2
-3
-4
-5
-6 2x + 3y = 6
-7
-8
 Example 4
Graph x – 3y > 0.
Solution
Replacing the inequality >
with an equality =, we obtain
the equation x – 3y = 0, whose
graph is:
 y
8
7
6
5
4 x – 3y = 0
3
2
1

-9 -8 -7 -6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 x
-1
-2
-3
-4
-5
-6
-7
-8
Graph x – 3y > 0.
Solution
We use a dashed line to
indicate the line itself will not
be part of the solution, since
we are dealing with a strict
inequality >.
 y
8
7
6
5
4 x – 3y = 0
3
2
1

-9 -8 -7 -6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 x
-1
-2
-3
-4
-5
-6
-7
-8
Since the origin lies on
the line, we cannot use
the origin as a testing
point: (0, 0)
 y
8
7
6
5
4 x – 3y = 0
3
2
1 (0, 0)
-9 -8 -7 -6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 x
-1
-2
-3
-4
-5
-6
-7
-8
Graph x – 3y > 0.

Solution
Picking instead (3, 0) as a test
point, we find (3) – 2(0) > 0, or 3 >
0, which is true.

Thus, the solution set is:

 y
8
7
6
5
4 x – 3y = 0
3
2
1 (3, 0)
-9 -8 -7 -6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 x
-1
-2
-3
-4 x – 3y > 0
-5
-6
-7
-8
 Exercise
 Solve the following inequations for x, y ∈ R; and illustrate the
solution set of each of the linear inequations on Cartesian
diagrams.
a) x +3 < 8
b) y + 6 > - 4
c) 3x + 6 > 2x + 3
d) -5 < x + 5
e) 4x ≥ 8.4
f) 8y + 3 >12y – 5
g) x + y ≤ 0
h) 4x – 3y ≥ 18
Graphing Systems of Linear Inequalities
 The solution set of a system of linear
inequalities in two variables x and y is the set
of all points (x, y) that satisfy each inequality
of the system.

 The graphical solution of such a system may

be obtained by graphing the solution set for
each inequality independently and then
determining the region in common with each
solution set.
 Example 5
Determine the solution set for the system

4 x  3 y  12
x y 0
Solution

The unshaded part of the two

inequalities represents the solution to the
system:
 y
(6,6)
6
4x + 3y  12
5
4x + 3y = 12 4
3

2
1

-6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 1 2 3 4 5 6
x
-1
-2

-3

-4
-5

-6
 y
(6,6)
6
5
4
x–y0
3
x–y=0
2
1

-6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 1 2 3 4 5 6
x
-1
-2

-3

-4
-5

-6
 y
(6,6)
6
5
4x + 3y  12
4x + 3y = 12 4
x–y0
3 x–y=0
2 P( 127 , 127 )
1

-6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 1 2 3 4 5 6
x
-1
-2

-3

-4
-5

-6
 Bounded and Unbounded Sets

The solution set of a system of

linear inequalities is bounded if it
can be enclosed by a circle.
Otherwise, it is unbounded.
The solution to the
problem we just
discussed is unbounded,
since the solution set
cannot be enclosed in a
circle:
 y
(6,6)
6
5
4x + 3y  12
4x + 3y = 12 4
x–y0
3 x–y=0
2 P( 127 , 127 )
1

-6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 1 2 3 4 5 6
x
-1
-2

-3

-4
-5

-6
 Example 6
Illustrate the solution set of the
following systems of inequations
on a Cartesian diagram.

Where x, y ∈ R; y ≥ 5x + 1,
y ≥ 5 – 2x , y ≤ 7.
 Solution
Consider the first inequation, y ≥ 5x + 1.
y = 5x + 1 is a boundary line.
 That is;
when x = 0, y=1
when x = 1, y=6
 Points on and above the continuous line
through (1,6) and (0,1) satisfy the inequation
y ≥ 5x + 1
Similarly, points on and above the
continuous line through (0,5) and (2,1)
satisfy the inequation y ≥ 5 – 2x .
Points on and below the continuous line
y = 7 satisfy the inequation y ≤ 7.

Solution set is shown by the unshaded

region in the figure shown below.
 y
8
y = 5x +1
7 y=7
6
5
4
3
2
1

-9 -8 -7 -6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 x
-1
-2
-3
-4
-5
-6
-7
-8 y = 5 – 2x
 Example 7
Determine the solution set for the
following system of inequations.

x y60 2x  y  8  0 x0 y0

Solution

The unshaded part of the four

inequalities represents the solution to the
system:
 y
8
x y60 7
6
5
x=0 P (2, 4)
4
3
2
1

-9 -8 -7 -6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 x
-1
-2
y=0 -3
-4
-5
-6
-7 2x  y  8  0
-8
 x y60 2x  y  8  0 x0 y0

Note that the solution to this

problem is bounded, since it can be
enclosed by a circle:
 y
8
x y60 7
6
5
x=0 P (2, 4)
4
3
2
1

-9 -8 -7 -6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 x
-1
-2
y=0 -3
-4
-5
-6
-7 2x  y  8  0
-8
 Exercise 2
1. Illustrate the solution set of each of the systems
of inequations on Cartesian diagrams and state
whether it is a bounded or unbounded set .
a) x – y < 3, x + y < 3
b) x + y ≥ 0, x – y ≥ 0
c) 3y + 4x ≥ 12, 2y + 5x ≥ 10
d) 7y + 12x ≤ 84, 12y +5x ≤ 60, x ≥ 0, y ≥ 0
e) x ≥ 0, y ≥ 0, x ≤ ½, 3y + 2x ≤ 6
f) x ≥ 0, y ≤ 4, x ≤ 3, x ≤ y
 Mathematical models
Example 8
1. Wamunyima has K5 000 to spend. He needs to
buy two types of biscuits, A and B. Type A costs
K500 per packet and type B costs K800 per
packet. He intends to buy not more than three
packets of type A and at least one of type B. Let
the number of packets of type A be x and the
number of packets of type B be y.
 Write down the inequations arising from the
given information.
 Solution
 x packets at K500 each = K500x
 y packets at K800 each = K800y

 Therefore , Wamunyima spends K (500 x + 800y)

 Since he only has K5 000,
 500x + 800y ≤ 5 000
 5x + 8y ≤ 50
 Since he intends to buy:
i. A quantity of type A biscuits;
x≥1
ii. Not more than 3 packets of type A; x≤3
iii. At least one packet of type B; y≥
1
 The four inequation represent the information
given in the problem. They can be summarized
as follows:
1. 5x + 8y ≤ 50
2. 1 < x ≤ 3
3. y ≥ 1

These inequations form a mathematical

model which can be solved.
 Example 9
1. A trade school makes desks and chairs using
two workshops, workshop Ι and workshop ΙΙ.
 For a desk, one hour is required in workshop Ι
and two hours in workshop ΙΙ. For a chair, one
hour is required in each workshop.
 Workshop Ι is available for four hours.
 Workshop ΙΙ is available for six hours
 The profit from each desk sold is K550 and the
profit from each chair sold is K475.
 Formulate a mathematical model for the given
information.
 The table below shows the production of chairs
and desks by two workshops Ι and ΙΙ.

Hours required per desk and chair

Item Number Profit per Workshop Ι Workshop ΙΙ
per desk desk and
and chair chair (4 hours available) (6 hours available)
made
Desk x 550 1 2

Chair y 475 1 1
 To make x desks and y chairs will require x +y hours
in workshop Ι and 2x + y hours in workshop ΙΙ.
 Considering the time each worshop is available we
see that ,
✦ x + y ≤ 4 ………. (1)
✦ 2x + y ≤ 6 ……….(2)
 The number of desks or chairs made can obviously
not be negative, and so
✦x ≥ 0 ……………(3 )
✦ y≥0 ……………(4)
 The profit realized from selling x desks and y chairs
is (profit per desk) x (number of desks) + (profit per
chair ) x ( number of chairs), i.e.
✦ 550x + 475y ….. (5)

 The mathematical model for this problem is

therefore,
✦x + y ≤ 4
✦ 2x +y ≤ 6
✦x ≥ 0
✦y ≥ 0
✦ 550x + 475y
 Exercise 3
1. Mulenga has K2 000 to spend on two types of
sweets. Toffees costs K100 each, peppermints
cost K30 each.
 She intends to have no more than 8
peppermints. Furthermore, she wants to have
at least 16 sweets in all. Let x be the number
of toffee and y the number of peppermints.
 Formulate inequations to satisfy the given
conditions.
2. A college has invited 1000 people for a graduation ceremony.
Two kinds of soft drinks, Coca Cola and Fanta are to be
bought so that each guest has at least one drink.
 It was decided that there should be at least as many bottles
of Coca Cola as there will be Fanta, and that there should
not be more than 400 bottles of Fanta.

 Let x to be the number of bottles of Coca Cola and y to be

the number of bottles of Fanta.

 Formulate a mathematical model for the given information.

Linear Programming Problems

Maximize P  x  1.2 y
Subject to 2 x  y  180
x  3 y  300
x  0
y  0
 Linear Programming Problem

A linear programming problem consists

of a linear objective function to be
maximized or minimized subject to
certain constraints in the form of linear
equations or inequalities.
 Example 1: A Production Problem

Ace Novelty wishes to produce two

types of souvenirs: type-A will result in
a profit of $1.00, and type-B in a profit
of $1.20.

To manufacture a type-A souvenir

requires 2 minutes on machine I and 1
minute on machine II.
A type-B souvenir requires 1 minute on
machine I and 3 minutes on machine II.

There are 3 hours available on machine

I and 5 hours available on machine II.

How many souvenirs of each type

should Ace make in order to maximize
its profit?
Solution
 Let’s first tabulate the given information:
Type-A Type-B Time Available

Profit/Unit $1.00 $1.20

Machine I 2 min 1 min 180 min

Machine II 1 min 3 min 300 min

 Let x be the number of type-A souvenirs

and y the number of type-B souvenirs to be
made.
 Type-A Type-B Time Available

Profit/Unit $1.00 $1.20

Machine I 2 min 1 min 180 min
Machine II 1 min 3 min 300 min

 Then, the total profit (in dollars) is given by

P  x  1.2 y
which is the objective function to be
maximized.
 Type-A Type-B Time Available
Profit/Unit $1.00 $1.20
Machine I 2 min 1 min 180 min
Machine II 1 min 3 min 300 min

 The total amount of time that machine I is

used is
2x  y
and must not exceed 180 minutes.
 Thus, we have the inequality

2 x  y  180
 Type-A Type-B Time Available
Profit/Unit $1.00 $1.20
Machine I 2 min 1 min 180 min
Machine II 1 min 3 min 300 min

 The total amount of time that machine II is used is

x  3y
and must not exceed 300 minutes.
 Thus, we have the inequality

x  3 y  300
 Type-A Type-B Time Available
Profit/Unit $1.00 $1.20
Machine I 2 min 1 min 180 min
Machine II 1 min 3 min 300 min

 Finally, neither x nor y can be negative, so

x  0
y  0
 Example 1: A Production Problem
Solution
 In short, we want to maximize the objective
function
P  x  1.2 y

subject to the system of inequalities

2 x  y  180
x  3 y  300
x 0
y 0
 Example 2: A Nutrition Problem
 A nutritionist advises an individual who is suffering from
iron and vitamin B deficiency to take at least 2400
milligrams (mg) of iron, 2100 mg of vitamin B1, and 1500
mg of vitamin B2 over a period of time.
 Two vitamin pills are suitable, brand-A and brand-B.
 Each brand-A pill costs 6 cents and contains 40 mg of iron,
10 mg of vitamin B1, and 5 mg of vitamin B2.
 Each brand-B pill costs 8 cents and contains 10 mg of iron
and 15 mg each of vitamins B1 and B2.
 What combination of pills should the individual purchase
in order to meet the minimum iron and vitamin
requirements at the lowest cost?
Solution
 Let’s first tabulate the given information:

Brand-A Brand-B Minimum Requirement

Cost/Pill 6¢ 8¢
Iron 40 mg 10 mg 2400 mg
Vitamin B1 10 mg 15 mg 2100 mg
Vitamin B2 5mg 15 mg 1500 mg

 Let x be the number of brand-A pills and y

the number of brand-B pills to be purchased.
 Brand-A Brand-B Minimum Requirement
Cost/Pill 6¢ 8¢
Iron 40 mg 10 mg 2400 mg
Vitamin B1 10 mg 15 mg 2100 mg
Vitamin B2 5mg 15 mg 1500 mg

 The cost C (in cents) is given by

C  6x  8 y
and is the objective function to be minimized.
 Brand-A Brand-B Minimum Requirement
Cost/Pill 6¢ 8¢
Iron 40 mg 10 mg 2400 mg
Vitamin B1 10 mg 15 mg 2100 mg
Vitamin B2 5mg 15 mg 1500 mg

 The amount of iron contained in x brand-A pills

and y brand-B pills is given by 40x + 10y mg, and
this must be greater than or equal to 2400 mg.
 This translates into the inequality

40 x  10 y  2400
 Brand-A Brand-B Minimum Requirement
Cost/Pill 6¢ 8¢
Iron 40 mg 10 mg 2400 mg
Vitamin B1 10 mg 15 mg 2100 mg
Vitamin B2 5mg 15 mg 1500 mg

 The amount of vitamin B1 contained in x

brand-A pills and y brand-B pills is given by
10x + 15y mg, and this must be greater or
equal to 2100 mg.
 This translates into the inequality

10 x  15 y  2100
 Brand-A Brand-B Minimum Requirement
Cost/Pill 6¢ 8¢
Iron 40 mg 10 mg 2400 mg
Vitamin B1 10 mg 15 mg 2100 mg
Vitamin B2 5mg 15 mg 1500 mg

 The amount of vitamin B2 contained in x

brand-A pills and y brand-B pills is given by
5x + 15y mg, and this must be greater or
equal to 1500 mg.
 This translates into the inequality

5 x  15 y  1500
Solution
 In short, we want to minimize the objective
function
C  6x  8 y
subject to the system of inequalities

40 x  10 y  2400
10 x  15 y  2100
5x  15 y  1500
x  0
y  0
Graphical Solutions of
Linear Programming
Problems
 Feasible Solution Set and Optimal Solution

 The constraints in a linear programming problem form

a system of linear inequalities, which have a solution set
S.
 Each point in S is a candidate for the solution of the
linear programming problem and is referred to as a
feasible solution.
 The set S itself is referred to as a feasible set.
 Among all the points in the set S, the point(s) that
optimizes the objective function of the linear
programming problem is called an optimal solution.
 Theorem 1

Linear Programming
 If a linear programming problem has a solution,
then it must occur at a vertex, or corner point, of
the feasible set S associated with the problem.

 If the objective function P is optimized at two

adjacent vertices of S, then it is optimized at every
point on the line segment joining these vertices, in
which case there are infinitely many solutions to
the problem.
 Theorem 2
Existence of a Solution
 Suppose we are given a linear programming
problem with a feasible set S and an objective
function P = ax + by.
a. If S is bounded, then P has both a maximum and
a minimum value on S.
b. If S is unbounded and both a and b are
nonnegative, then P has a minimum value on S
provided that the constraints defining S include
the inequalities x  0 and y  0.
c. If S is the empty set, then the linear programming
problem has no solution: that is, P has neither a
maximum nor a minimum value.
 The Method of Corners
1. Graph the feasible set.
2. Find the coordinates of all corner points (vertices) of
the feasible set.
3. Evaluate the objective function at each corner point.
4. Find the vertex that renders the objective function a
maximum or a minimum.
✦ If there is only one such vertex, it constitutes a
unique solution to the problem.
✦ If there are two such adjacent vertices, there are
infinitely many optimal solutions given by the
points on the line segment determined by these
vertices.
 Example 1: A Production Problem
 Recall Example 1 which required us to find the optimal
quantities to produce of type-A and type-B souvenirs in
order to maximize profits.
 We restated the problem as a linear programming problem
in which we wanted to maximize the objective function
P  x  1.2 y
subject to the system of inequalities
2 x  y  180
x  3 y  300
x0
y0
 We can now solve the problem graphically.
 Example 1: A Production Problem

We first graph the feasible set S for

the problem.
Graph the solution for the
inequality 2 x  y  180

considering only positive values for

x and y:
 y
300

200
(0, 180)

100
(90, 0)
100 200 300 x
2 x  y  180

2 x  y  180
✦Graph the solution for the
inequality
x  3 y  300
considering only positive values
for x and y:
 y

300

200

(0, 100)
100
(300, 0)
100 200 300 x
x  3 y  300 x  3 y  300
✦Graph the intersection of the
solutions to the inequalities,
yielding the feasible set S.

✦(Note that the feasible set S is

bounded)
 y

300

200

100
S
100 200 300 x
x  3 y  300

2 x  y  180
Next, find the vertices of the
feasible set S.
✦The vertices are A(0, 0),
B(90, 0), C(48, 84), and
D(0, 100).
 y

300

200

D(0, 100) 100 C(48, 84)

S
A(0, 0) 100 200 300 x
B(90, 0)
x  3 y  300

2 x  y  180
Now, find the values of P at the vertices
and tabulate them:

Vertex P = x + 1.2 y
A(0, 0) 0
B(90, 0) 90
C(48, 84) 148.8
D(0, 100) 120
 A Production Problem

Finally, identify the vertex with the highest

value for P:
✦ We can see that P is maximized at the
vertex C(48, 84) and has a value of
148.8.
✦ Recalling what the symbols x, y, and P
represent, we conclude that ACE
Novelty would maximize its profit at
$148.80 by producing 48 type-A
souvenirs and 84 type-B souvenirs.
 Example 2: A Nutrition Problem
 Recall Example 2 which asked us to determine the optimal
combination of pills to be purchased in order to meet the
minimum iron and vitamin requirements at the lowest cost.
 We restated the problem as a linear programming problem
in which we wanted to minimize the objective function
C  6x  8 y
subject to the system of inequalities
40 x  10 y  2400
10 x  15 y  2100
5 x  15 y  1500
x, y  0
 We can now solve the problem graphically.
We first graph the feasible set S for
the problem.
✦Graph the solution for the
inequality
40 x  10 y  2400
considering only positive values
for x and y:
40 x  10 y  2400
y

300 40 x  10 y  2400
(0, 240)
200

100
(60, 0)
100 200 300 x
We first graph the feasible set S for
the problem.
✦Graph the solution for the
inequality
10 x  15 y  2100
considering only positive values
for x and y:
 y

300

10 x  15 y  2100 200
10 x  15 y  2100
(0, 140)
100
(210, 0)

100 200 300 x

We first graph the feasible set S
for the problem.
✦Graph the solution for the
inequality
5 x  15 y  1500
considering only positive
values for x and y:
 y

300

200 5 x  15 y  1500
5 x  15 y  1500 100
(0, 100)

(300, 0)

100 200 300 x

We first graph the feasible set S
for the problem.
✦Graph the intersection of the
solutions to the inequalities,
yielding the feasible set S.
(Note that the feasible set S is
unbounded)
 40 x  10 y  2400
y

10 x  15 y  2100
300
S
200

5 x  15 y  1500 100

100 200 300 x

Next, find the vertices of the
feasible set S.
✦The vertices are A(0, 240),
B(30, 120), C(120, 60), and
D(300, 0).
 40 x  10 y  2400
y

10 x  15 y  2100
300
A(0, 240)
S
200

5 x  15 y  1500 100
B(30, 120)
C(120, 60)
D(300, 0)
100 200 300 x
Now, find the values of C at the vertices
and tabulate them:
Vertex C = 6x + 8 y
A(0, 240) 1920
B(30, 120) 1140
C(120, 60) 1200
D(300, 0) 1800
 Finally, identify the vertex with the lowest
value for C:
✦ We can see that C is minimized at the
vertex B(30, 120) and has a value of 1140.
Vertex C = 6x + 8y
A(0, 240) 1920
B(30, 120) 1140
C(120, 60) 1200
D(300, 0) 1800
 Example 2: A Nutrition Problem

 Finally, identify the vertex with the lowest

value for C:
✦ We can see that C is minimized at the
vertex B(30, 120) and has a value of 1140.
✦ Recalling what the symbols x, y, and C
represent, we conclude that the
individual should purchase 30 brand-A
pills and 120 brand-B pills at a minimum
cost of $11.40.
 Exercise
1. A farmer has 12 beds for planting two kinds of
seedlings, cabbage and lettuce. Cabbage can be
planted 25 in a bed and lettuce 50 in a bed. He
wants to plant 400 seedlings and at least three
times more beds of cabbage than lettuce.
a) Find the maximum number of beds planted with
seedlings.
b) Find the number of seedlings planted and beds
used for each type.
c) It is estimated that on average each cabbage
brings in a profit K100 and each lettuce brings in
a profit of K50. Find the maximum income.
 continued

Let x be the number of beds of

cabbage and y the number of beds of
lettuce.
The diagram should show clearly the
region in which the solution set lies.
2. To start a new bus company, a businessman needs at
least 5 buses and 10 mini buses. He does not want to
have more than 30 vehicles altogether. A bus takes up 3
units of garage space, a mini bus takes up 1 unit of
garage space and there are only 54 units of garage
space available. If x and y are number of buses and
mini buses respectively.
a) Write down four inequalities which represent the
restrictions on the businessman.
b) Draw a graph which shows a region representing
possible values of x and y.
c. Running costs are K15 a day for a
bus and K8 a day for a mini bus.
Write down an expression for the
total cost per day.
d. Find the maximum daily cost and
the corresponding numbers of
buses and mini buses.
 The search line ax +by =k
 Example 1
✦ The unshaded region in the figure below
shows the solution set of the system of
inequations:
✦x + y ≤ 5
✦ 2x + y ≤ 8
✦x ≥ 0
✦y ≥ 0
for x, y ∈ R.
 y
8
x+y=5 7
6
5
4
3
2
1

-9 -8 -7 -6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 x
-1
-2
-3
-4
-5
-6
-7
-8
2x +y =8
 To find the maximum value of x + 3y, we must
consider the set of parallel lines corresponding
to the equation x + 3y = k where k ∈ R.
 From the graph, x + 3y has a maximum value
of 15 at the vertex point (0,5).
 The minimum value is 0 at the vertex point
(0,0).
 The search line helps us to find the maximum
and minimum points systematically.
 y
8
x+y=5 7
6
A(0, 5) 5
x +3y= k 4
3
2 B (3, 2)
1 D (0, 0)
C (4, 0)
-9 -8 -7 -6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 x
-1
-2
-3
-4
-5
-6
-7
-8
2x +y =8
 Exercise
1. Find the maximum and minimum values in
each of the following where x, y ∈ Z:

a) 10x + 3y. Given that x + y ≤ 3, 2x + y ≤ 8,

x ≥0 , y ≥ 0
b) 3x + y. Given that y ≤ 3, 8x + 5y ≤ 40,
x ≥0, y ≥0
c) X + y. Given y < 3, 2x + y ≤ 14,
4x + 3 y ≥ 12, x ≥ 0, y ≥ 0
The En