Q.Solve the following linear programming problem graphically: Maximize subject to the constraints:
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Start your 14-day free trial to unlock the full solution →This is a maximization problem with a mix of and constraints. The feasible region is bounded by three lines and the axes. The maximum of occurs at a corner point of the feasible region. The optimal solution is , , giving .
Why the graphical method works
Linear programming problems with two variables can be solved by drawing the constraints as straight lines on the -plane. Each inequality defines a half-plane. The intersection of all these half-planes is the feasible region — the set of all points that satisfy every constraint.
For a maximization problem, the optimal value of (if it exists) will occur at one of the corner points (vertices) of this feasible region. This is the fundamental theorem of linear programming. So we:
- Draw each constraint line.
- Shade the correct side for each inequality.
- Find the common region.
- List its corner points.
- Evaluate at each corner.
- Pick the largest value.
The first and third constraints are "greater than or equal to" (). This means the feasible region lies above those lines, not below. Many students shade the wrong side and get an unbounded region or a wrong answer.
Step-by-step solution
1. Convert inequalities to equations
We rewrite each constraint as a line equation:
- (the -axis)
- (the -axis)
2. Find intercepts for each line
| Line | -intercept () | -intercept () |
|---|---|---|
3. Determine the correct half-plane for each inequality
- : Test : is false. So shade away from the origin — above the line.
- : Test : is true. So shade toward the origin — below the line.
- : Test : is false. So shade away from the origin — above the line.
- : First quadrant only.
4. Find the feasible region
The feasible region is the intersection of all these half-planes. It is a bounded polygon (a quadrilateral, in fact). Let's find its vertices by solving pairs of equations.
5. Find all corner points
Corner A: Intersection of and
From , we have .
Substitute into :
Then .
So A = (15, 20).
Corner B: Intersection of and
From , we have .
Substitute into :
Then .
So B = (2, 72).
Corner C: Intersection of and
From , we have .
Substitute into :
Then .
So C = (40, 15).
Corner D: Intersection of and
If , then . So D = (115, 0).
Corner E: Intersection of and
If , then , so . So E = (0, 75).
Corner F: Intersection of and
If , then . So F = (0, 80).
Not all of these points are actually in the feasible region. A point must satisfy all constraints simultaneously. Always check each candidate against every inequality.
6. Check which corners are actually feasible
| Point | | | | | Feasible? |
|-------|-----------------|-------------------|-----------------|-------------------|-----------| …
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