TJ, Alex, Julie, Macye, Israel, Kenize

Math 1010-018

OptimizingProfit

Math1010SignatureAssignment,Spring2015
Groupsizeis3to4students.Onepersonisnotagroupandanyprojectssubmittedby
individualstudentswillnotbegraded.
Your group will submit one project. Be sure that all of your names are on it, and be sure that each
member of the group approves of the final draft. Your work will be neat and legible. All
mathematical calculations will be shown in a neat and logical progression.

BackgroundInformation:
LinearProgrammingisatechniqueusedforoptimizationofarealworldsituation.
Examplesofoptimizationincludemaximizingthenumberofitemsthatcanbemanufactured
orminimizingthecostofproduction.Theequationthatrepresentsthequantitytobe
optimizediscalledtheobjectivefunction,sincetheobjectiveoftheprocessistooptimize
thevalue.Inthisprojecttheobjectiveistomaximizetheprofitofasmallbusiness.
Theobjectiveissubjecttolimitationsorconstraintsthatarerepresentedbyinequalities.
Limitationsonthenumberofitemsthatcanbeproduced,thenumberofhoursthatworkers
areavailable,andtheamountoflandafarmerhasforcropsareexamplesofconstraints
thatcanberepresentedusinginequalities.Manufacturinganinfinitenumberofitemsisnot
arealisticgoal.Inthisprojectsomeoftheconstraintswillbebasedonbudget.
Graphingthesystemofinequalitiesgivenbytheconstraintsprovidesavisual
representationofthepossiblesolutionstotheproblem.Ifthegraphisaclosedregion,it
canbeshownthatthevaluesthatoptimizetheobjectivefunctionwilloccuratoneofthe
"corners"oftheregion.
TheProblem:
Inthisprojectyourgroupwillsolvethefollowingsituation:
Asmallbusinessproducescollarsandleashesfordogs.Themonthlycostsandbudget
havebeencalculated.Thecostofmaterialsforeachcollaris$3.00andthecostof
materialsforeachleashis$4.00.Thecostoflaborwillamountto$13.00foreachcollar
and$6.00foreachleash.Thebusinessdoesnotwishtospendmorethan$240on
materialsand$496onlaboreachmonth.Inaddition,theywanttoproduceatleast50
itemspermonthbutnomorethan100itemspermonth.Theprofitfromeachcollarwill
be$9.50,andtheprofitfromeachleashwillbe$10.25.Howmanyofeachitemshouldbe
madetoobtainthemaximumprofit?

TJ, Alex, Julie, Macye, Israel, Kenize

Math 1010-018

ModelingtheProblem:
Letxbethenumberofdogcollarsthataremadeandybethenumberofleashesthatare
made.
1.

Writedownalinearinequalitythatmodelshowthematerialscostswillbekept
withinbudget.

2. Writedownalinearinequalitythatmodelshowthelaborcostswillbekeptwithin
budget.
3. Recallthatthebusinesswantstoproduceatleast50itemseachmonth.Writedown
alinearinequalitytomodelthisconstraint.

4. Thebusinesswantstoproducenomorethan100itemseachmonth.Writedowna
linearinequalitytomodelthisconstraint.

5. Therearetwomoreconstraintsthatmustbemet.Theserelatetothefactthatitis
impossibletomanufactureanegativenumberofitems.Writethetwoinequalities
thatmodeltheseconstraints:

6. Next,writedownthefunctionfortheprofitthatwillbeearnedbysellingthedog
collarsandleashes.ThisistheObjectiveFunctionfortheproblem.

Younowhavesixlinearinequalitiesandanobjectivefunction.Thesetogetherdescribe
thesituation.Thiscombinedsetofinequalitiesandobjectivefunctionmakeupwhatis
knownmathematicallyasalinearprogrammingproblem.Writealloftheinequalities
andtheobjectivefunctiontogetherbelow.Thisistypicallywrittenasalistofconstraints,
withtheobjectivefunctionlast.

TJ, Alex, Julie, Macye, Israel, Kenize

Math 1010-018

7. Tosolvethisproblem,youwillneedtographtheintersectionofallsix
inequalitiesononecommonx,yplane.Dothisonthegridbelow.Havethebottom
leftbetheorigin,withthehorizontalaxisrepresentingxandtheverticalaxis
representingy.Labeltheaxeswithappropriatenumbersandverbaldescriptions,and
labelyourlinesasyougraphthem.Youmayuseyourowngraphpaperorgraphing
softwareifyouprefer.

TJ, Alex, Julie, Macye, Israel, Kenize

Math 1010-018
8. Theshadedregionintheabovegraphiscalledthefeasibleregion.Any(x,y)pointinthe
regioncorrespondstoapossiblenumberofcollarsandleashesthatwillmeetallthe
requirementsoftheproblem.However,thevaluesthatwillmaximizetheprofitwilloccur
atoneoftheverticesorcornersoftheregion.Yourregionshouldhavefourcorners.Find
thecoordinatesofthesecornersbysolvingtheappropriatesystemoflinearequations.Be
suretoshowyourworkandlabelthe(x,y)coordinatesofthecornersinyourgraph.

1.

2.

TJ, Alex, Julie, Macye, Israel, Kenize

Math 1010-018

3.

4.

9. To find which number of collars and leashes will maximize the profit, evaluate the
objectivefunctionPforeachoftheverticesyoufound.Showyourwork.

TJ, Alex, Julie, Macye, Israel, Kenize

Math 1010-018

10. Writeasentencedescribinghowmanyofeachitemshouldbemanufacturedtoproduce
thehighestprofit.Includetheamountoftheprofitthatwillbeearned.

Weneed16collarsand48leashestomakeamaximizeprofitof$644permonth.

GROUP PROJECT DUE:

Each group member will also need a scanned copy of the project to put in their e-Portfolio.
Instructions for the reflective writing and e-Portfolio assignment are available on the class website.

This project was really challenging, even though were put into
groups. It was challenging, because we had to think really hard, think about
what formula/form we had to use and graphing to find the points that we
need to find. But it was fun to work as a group. If I worked alone, I wouldnt
be able to have this done before class ends. I like being a group, because you
get to hear their opinions and they help out until you understand the
problem. Math isnt my favorite subject, but at least I learned a lot from the
class.
I noticed the project had the equation that is similar for what we had
learned in class. Like substitution, elimination, finding what x and y is, and
setting the problem up.
It was fun, trying to figure what goes there and here, but challenging and
there was lots of thinking as well, even I tried so hard, but couldnt think of
anything. But thanks to some friends that are in my group. We work as a
team and we got it done!