Interpretation of Slack Variables - Introduction Previous Next
To demonstrate how slack variables should be interpreted, consider the following linear programming model:
This is the model for Leo Coco's problem presented in the demo, Graphical Method. That demo describes how to find the optimal solution graphically, as displayed on the right.
Although the graphical method is limited to two variables, the simplex method is an algebraic procedure that also can solve much larger problems. Slack variables play a key role in the simplex method. This demo focuses on the geometric interpretation of slack variables.