Mathematical methods of linear programming

Thesis (M.A.)--Boston UniversityA complex modern society has presented its managers with the need to solve a variety of optimization problems. The desire to run a firm in such a way that profit is maximized, to schedule bombing runs to inflict a maximum of damage on an opponent consistent with acceptable losses, or to choose an assignment of available personnel which optimizes efficiency are typical examples. Such problems are called programming problems. The unifying idea here is that the limited resources (e.g. factors of production, planes, or personnel) which are available for use may be combined in a large (generally infinite) number of ways. The object is to choose from these possibilities the combination or combinations which will optimize a measure of the effectiveness of the enterprise. Mathematically, the programming problem is stated. [TRUNCATED