I N T E R A C T I V E L I N E A R P R O G R A M M I N G AS A L E A R N I N G T O O L IN A G R A D U A T E B U S I N E S S S C H O O L E N V I R O N M E N T by J u l i u s Surkis, Assoc. Prof. G r a d u a t e S c h o o l of Bus. Admin. Rutgers U n i v e r s i t y Newark, N e w J e r s e y In i n t r o d u c t o r y O p e r a t i o n s R e s e a r c h courses that one e n c o u n t e r s in i n t e r d i s c i p l i n a r y p r o g r a m s , or in the q u a n t i t a t i v e t e c h n i q u e s courses in B u s i n e s s Schools, a s i g n i f i c a n t amount of time is d e v o t e d to the d e v e l o p m e n t as w e l l as the c o m p u t a t i o n a l m e c h a n i c s of L i n e a r P r o g r a m m i n g . The average s t u d e n t w h o s e u n d e r g r a d u a t e b a c k g r o u n d is n o n - q u a n t i t a t i v e u s u a l l y gets lost in the a r i t h m e t i c o p e r a t i o n s of p i v o t i n g . As a result, the e s s e n t i a l s of the s i m p l e x m e t h o d are obscured. An a l t e r n a t i v e is to use "canned" linear p r o g r a m m i n g codes or routines. This is q u i t e u n s a t i s f a c t o r y since all that the s t u d e n t does is p u n c h or type the d a t a in and the results are s p e w e d out. T h e r e is no feel for w h a t and how one p r o ceeds to a solution, if a s o l u t i o n s h o u l d exist. In o r d e r to m a k e the l e a r n i n g e x p e r i e n c e m o r e m e a n i n g f u l in i n t r o d u c i n g L i n e a r P r o g r a m m i n g in the A n a l y t i c a l T e c h n i q u e s s e q u e n c e in the M B A p r o g r a m at the G r a d u a t e S c h o o l of B u s i n e s s A d m i n i s t r a t i o n at Rutgers, we h a v e p r o g r a m m e d an i n t e r a c t i v e L i n e a r P r o g r a m m i n g R o u t i n e on the time s h a r e d H e w l i t t P a c k a r d 2000F. The user p r o v i d e s the usual i n p u t d a t a as w e l l n e c e s s a r y slack, surplus and a r t i f i c i a l v a r i a b l e s . as the To p r o c e e d from this i n i t i a l f e a s i b l e solution, the user has to choose the a p p r o D r i a t e c a n d i d a t e v a r i a b l e for entry. Once that is done the p r o g r a m computes the n e c e s s a r y ratios n e e d e d to select the v a r i a b l e to leave the solution. The user has to d e c i d e w h i c h v a r i a b l e is to leave and i n d i c a t e the a p p r o p r i a t e p i v o t i n g operation: n o r m a l i z a t i o n and e ~ i m i n a t i o n o p e r a t i o n s for each row. The p r o g r a m does the a r i t h m e t i c ~for change of basis and p r i n t s out the r e s u l t i n g equations. The u s e r and p r o g r a m i n t e r a c t i o n c o n t i n u e s u n t i l the user r e c o g n i z e s that he has r e a c h e d an o p t i m a l s o l u t i o n or w i s h e s to t e r m i n a t e for o t h e r reasons. C u r r e n t l y we are in the p r o c e s s of p r e p a r i n g an i n t e r a c t i v e p r o g r a m using the r e v i s e d simplex a p p r o a c h w h e r e the s t u d e n t w i l l be able to e x e r c i s e m a t r i x concepts e n c o u n t e r e d in the course w o r k and also a t t a i n a d i f f e r e n t p e r s p e c t i v e on l i n e a r p r o g r a m m i n g . The p r o g r a m s are in the B A S I C language. copy of the p r o g r a m s s h o u l d c o n t a c t the author. Those wishing a

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