Chapter Three
Chapter Three
Study Notes
Transportation Models
Definition: A linear programming model to minimize the cost of transporting a
homogeneous commodity from origins (e.g., factories) to destinations (e.g., retail stores).
Objective: Identify a distribution plan that minimizes transportation costs while meeting
supply and demand constraints.
Characteristics
Assumptions
Formulation
Inputs:
o Supply capacity of each origin.
o Demand quantity of each destination.
o Unit transportation cost for each origin-destination route.
Solution: Assign quantities to routes (cells in a table) from zero to the minimum of row
supply or column demand.
Evaluating Optimality
1. Stepping-Stone Method:
o Trace closed paths for each empty cell, using only horizontal/vertical moves.
o Start with a "+" in the empty cell, alternate "+" and "−" signs in occupied cells.
o Calculate cost change by shifting one unit to the empty cell.
o Shift the maximum possible units to the cell with the most negative cost change.
o Example: Shift 25 units, new cost = 25×6 + 125×10 + 175×11 + 175×4 + 100×5
= $4525.
2. Modified Distribution Method (MODI):
o Compute row (ui) and column (vj) values for occupied cells using ui + vj = cij.
o Calculate cost change for empty cells: kij = cij − ui − vj.
o Allocate to the empty cell with the most negative kij, recompute ui and vj, and
repeat until all kij ≥ 0.
o Example: Initial cost = $4450, optimal cost = $4525 (multiple optimal solutions).
Special Issues
Alternate Optimal Solutions: Multiple solutions with the same minimum cost.
Degeneracy: Fewer occupied cells than rows + columns − 1.
Unacceptable Routes: Prohibit certain routes due to external factors.
Unequal Supply and Demand: Add a dummy row/column with zero costs to balance.
Assignment Problems
Definition: A special case of transportation problems where the number of sources equals
destinations, aiming to assign tasks to