Sensitivity analysis
Sensitivity analysis investigates the change in the optimum solution resulting from making
changes in parameters of the LP model. The following table lists all possible cases that can arise
in sensitivity analysis together with the actions needed to obtain the new solution (assuming it
exists):
Condition resulting from the changes Recommended action
Current solution remains optimal and feasible. No further action is necessary
Current solution becomes infeasible. Use dual simplex to recover feasibility
Current solution becomes nonoptimal Use primal simplex to recover optimality
Current solution becomes both nonoptimal Use the generalized simplex method to
and infeasible obtain a new solution
Example:
Primal Problem
Max z = 3x1 + 2 x2 + 5x3
Subject to x1 + 2 x2 + x3 £ 430
3x1 + 2 x3 £ 460
x1 + 4 x 2 £ 420
Changing the right hand
The changes require recomputing the right hand sides of the table.
(New [Link] ) = (Inversematrix )(Pr esent availability )
a) Suppose operation 1,2,3 increased by 40% then calculate optimal solution.
b) Suppose operation 1,2 and 3 are 450,460,400 .
c) Suppose operation 1 changed by amount D1 .
Eg 1. A Company manufactures purses, shaving bags, and backpacks. The construction of the three
products requires lather and synthetic material, with leather being the limiting raw material. The
production process uses two types of skilled labor: sewing and finishing. The following table gives the
availability of the resources, their usage of the three products, and the profits per unit.
Resource requirements per unit
Resource Purse Bag Backpack Daily availability
2 1 3 42
Leather (ft 2 )
Sewinq(hr) 2 1 2 40
Finishina (hr) 1 5 1 45
Profit ($) 24 22 45
Formulate the problem as a linear program and find the optimum solution. Next, indicate whether the
following changes in the resources will keep the current solution feasible. For the cases where feasibility
is minted, determine the new optimum solution (values of the variables and the objective function).
(a) Available leather is increased to 45 ft2.
(b) Available leather is decreased by 1ft2.
(c) Available sewing hours are changed to 38 hours.
(d) Available sewing hours are changed to 46 hours.
(e) Available finishing [Link] are decreased to 15 hours.
(f) Available finishing ours are increased to 50 hours.
2. A company produces two models of electronic gadgets that resistors, capacitors, and chips.
The following table summarizes the data of the situation:
Unit resource
Resource Model 1 Model 2 Maximum availability
( units) (units) (units)
Resistor 2 3 1200
Capacitor 2 1 1000
Chips 0 4 800
Unit profit ($) 3 4
Let x1 and x 2 be the amounts produced of Models 1 and 2, respectively. Following are the LP model and its
associated optimal simplex tableau.
Max z = 3x1 + 4 x2
Subject to 2 x1 + 3x 2 £ 1200
2 x1 + x 2 £ 1000
4 x2 £ 800
a) Determine the status of each resource.
b) If the available number of resistors increased to 1300units, find new optimum solution.
c) If the available number of chips reduced to 350 units, will u able to determine the new
optimum solution directly from the given information?
d) A new contractor is offering to sell additional resistors at 40 cents each but only if the
company would purchase at least 500 units. Should you accept the offer?
