Use of Artificial Variables

When the computational form of the LPP is not canonical

with respect to some basic sequence, artificial variables are
used. This happens in 2 cases:
a) the original problem is a minimization problem; and
b) one of the constraints in the original maximization
problem is a strict equality.

Artificial variables are assigned large coefficients relative to

the coefficients in the objective function.
•  For (a), choose large positive number; for (b) choose
large negative number.
•  This ensures that the optimal solution does not include
any artificial variable.
Example:
Min c0 = 2x1 + 10x2
subject to
2x1 + x2 ≤ 6
5x1 + 4x2 ≥ 20
x1, x2 ≥ 0
Standard form:
Min 2x1 + 10x2
subject to
2x1 + x2 + x3 = 6
5x1 + 4x2 - x4 = 20
x1, x2, x3, x4 ≥ 0
Computational form:
Min 2x1 + 10x2 + αy1
subject to
2x1 + x2 + x3 = 6
5x1 + 4x2 - x4 + y1 = 20
x1, x2, x3, x4 ≥ 0
Let α = 100.
Tableau 1:
x1 x2 x3 x4 y1 RHS
2 10 0 0 100 0
2 1 1 0 0 6
5 4 0 -1 1 20
•  can be made canonical by multiplying the 2nd row by -100
and adding it to the 0th row
Tableau 2:
x1 x2 x3 x4 y1 RHS
-498 -390 0 100 0 -2000
2 1 1 0 0 6
5 4 0 -1 1 20
•  canonical with respect to xB = (x3, y1)
•  pivot on a11 = 2
Tableau 3:
X1 x2 x3 x4 y1 RHS
0 -141 249 100 0 -506
1 ½ ½ 0 0 3
0 3/2 -5/2 -1 1 5
•  canonical with respect to xB = (x1, y1)
•  pivot on a22 = 3/2

Tableau 4:
x1 x2 x3 x4 y1 RHS
0 0 14 6 94 -36
1 0 4/3 1/3 1/3 4/3
0 1 -5/3 2/3 2/3 10/3
•  canonical with respect to xB = (x1, x2)
•  optimal solution: x1 = 4/3; x2 = 10/3; x3 = x4 = y1 = 0