Linear programming is an optimization technique for a system of linear

constraints and a linear objective function. An objective function defines the

quantity to be optimized, and the goal of linear programming is to find the values
of the variables that maximize or minimize the objective function.

Linear programming is useful for many problems that require an optimization of

resources. It could be applied to manufacturing, to calculate how to assign labor
and machinery to minimize cost of operations. It could be applied in high-level
business operations, to decide which products to sell and in what quantity in
order to maximize profit. It could also be applied in logistics, to decide how to
apply resources to get a job done in the minimum amount of time.

Steps of defining a Linear Programming problem generically:

 Identify the decision variables
 Write the objective function
 Mention the constraints
 Explicitly state the non-negativity restriction

Application of Linear Programming:

1. Manufacturing industries use linear programming for analyzing their

supply chain operations. Their motive is to maximize efficiency with
minimum operation cost. As per the recommendations from the linear
programming model, the manufacturer can reconfigure their storage
layout, adjust their workforce and reduce the bottlenecks.
2. Linear programming is also used in organized retail for shelf space
optimization. Since the number of products in the market have increased
in leaps and bounds, it is important to understand what does the
customer want. Optimization is aggressively used in stores like Walmart,
Hypercity, Reliance, Big Bazaar, etc. The products in the store are placed
strategically keeping in mind the customer shopping pattern. The
objective is to make it easy for a customer to locate & select the right
products. This is with subject to constraints like limited shelf space, the
variety of products, etc.
3. Optimization is also used for optimizing Delivery Routes. This is an
extension of the popular traveling salesman problem. Service industry
uses optimization for finding the best route for multiple salesmen
traveling to multiple cities. With the help of clustering and greedy
algorithm the delivery routes are decided by companies like FedEx,
Amazon, etc. The objective is to minimize the operation cost and time.
4. Optimizations is also used in Machine Learning. Supervised Learning
works on the fundamental of linear programming. A system is trained to
fit on a mathematical model of a function from the labeled input data that
can predict values from an unknown test data.
5. Linear Programming (LP) was successfully used by Arasb Dabbagh
Moghaddam to design a high energy, nutrient dense prototype for an EFP
(Emergency Food Products) with an easily adapted formulation,
,depending on the situation. This mathematical modeling technique is
 used to optimize several variables in order to achieve an objective,
subject to restrictions called constraints.

With 3.2 million tons of food being sent from the World Food Program to
76.7 million people globally in emergencies in 2015, a highly efficient and
adaptable model to design an optimal food product is essential. Linear
Programming should be adopted in more situations that require an
optimal product but that have many variable criteria.

6. Restaurants use linear programming for menu planning. It uses basic

algebra to optimize meal production and thereby increase restaurant
profits. Linear algebra reflects a direct relationship between an increase
or decrease in food resources, and an increase or decrease in meal
production. For example, if the kitchen has only half its needed supply of
cream base, then it can only prepare half its normal amount of cream
soups. Additionally, management can determine the cost of preparing
different menu items to decide how many of each menu item to prepare
for optimal profit.