How is linear programming used in the real world?

In microeconomics and business management, such as planning, production, transportation, and similar areas, linear programming is a method you’ll often see and use. Companies use it to either maximize profits or reduce the expenses of a manufacturing scheme, and the challenge in the actual world is determining the product’s maximum profit. Linear programming can produce the best potential solution when a problem has many resource restrictions. Using this tool is a quick and practical approach to framing the issue and discovering a solution, whatever the goal is.

Linear programming is used all over the world. Some of the industries that use linear programming are: 

• Food and agriculture industries

• Engineering industry

• Transportation

• Energy industry

Let’s find out how they are using Linear Programming.

Food & Agriculture

Many farmers use linear programming, and if that doesn’t show how widely used this programming is, then we don’t know what will. Farmers can boost their income by choosing the suitable crops to cultivate and how much to grow. All of that will help them make their work effective. It also helps with nutritional planning. For example, specialists in nutrition can use the LP to give out cheap but nutritious baskets to impoverished households. So, what happens is that specialists use mathematical models which help them organize healthy meals at low cost. They will take raw food and check their statistics and prices while keeping in mind other factors like helping with diseases. So, with the help of LP, they can calculate how many of some ingredients and how often they need to be distributed to achieve the goal.

Engineering Industry 

Engineers use linear programming to assist with design and production issues. Engineers aim for aerodynamic form optimization in airfoil meshes which makes it possible to lower the airfoil’s drag coefficient*. Some of the examples of the constraints are:

• trailing edge angle

• relative maximum thickness

• nose radius

• lift coefficient

There is also shape optimization that aims to provide a workable, shock-free airfoil. As a result, linear programming has given engineers access to a crucial tool to reach optimization. The airfoil drag coefficient, which has no dimensions and is employed in fluid dynamics, is a measurement of an object’s drag or resistance in a fluid environment like air or water.

Transportation Sector 

Transportation systems use linear programming every day to save money and time! There are several things that bus & train routes have to consider. For example, the first few things that pop into our minds are passengers, journey time, and schedule. Without those, there wouldn’t be transportation at all. Also, airlines use linear programming to maximize their profitability. They maximize it based on fluctuating ticket prices and demand from customers. For the scheduling and routing of pilots, airlines also use linear programming. Optimization using linear programming boosts airline productivity while cutting costs. Generally, using LP in transportation is a must.

Energy Industry 

Today’s modern and efficient energy grid systems include renewable energy sources. Those are wind and solar photovoltaics, but there are also conventional electrical networks. Generators, transmission and distribution lines, and storage must all be considered when determining how to meet the electrical load needs at its best. So yeah, a lot of LP is included for optimizing everything listed and much more. Costs must also continue to be manageable for profitability. LP enables the quickest possible match between electricity generation and its demand throughout time throughout time. The energy sector can benefit from using linear programming to improve cost or load-matching.