Linear programming (LP) is minimizing or maximizing a linear objective function subject to bounds, linear equality, and inequality constraints. Example problems include blending in process industries, production planning in manufacturing, cash flow matching in finance, and planning in energy and transportation.
Linear programming is the mathematical problem of finding a vector x that minimizes the function:
\[\min_{x} \left\{f^{\mathsf{T}}x\right\}\]
Subject to the constraints:
\[\begin{eqnarray}Ax \leq b & \quad & \text{(inequality constraint)} \\A_{eq}x = b_{eq} & \quad & \text{(equality constraint)} \\lb \leq x \leq ub & \quad & \text{(bound constraint)}\end{eqnarray}\]