Advanced Linear Programming MCQs

  1. Which of the following is a condition for a linear program to be feasible?
    • (A) All constraints must be satisfied.
    • (B) The objective function must be maximized.
    • (C) The feasible region must be unbounded.
    • (D) The constraints must be non-linear.

    Answer: (A) All constraints must be satisfied.

  2. In the simplex method, what happens when an artificial variable has a non-zero value in the optimal solution?
    • (A) The solution is infeasible.
    • (B) The solution is unbounded.
    • (C) The solution is optimal but not feasible.
    • (D) The solution is feasible.

    Answer: (A) The solution is infeasible.

  3. In the duality theory of linear programming, what does the dual of a maximization problem represent?
    • (A) A minimization problem.
    • (B) Another maximization problem.
    • (C) An infeasible solution.
    • (D) An equivalent primal problem.

    Answer: (A) A minimization problem.

  4. Which of the following statements is true about a degenerate basic feasible solution in the simplex method?
    • (A) It is always an optimal solution.
    • (B) It corresponds to a point where the feasible region is not unique.
    • (C) It implies that the solution is unbounded.
    • (D) It does not allow further iterations in the simplex method.

    Answer: (B) It corresponds to a point where the feasible region is not unique.

  5. In the dual-simplex method, which of the following is required to obtain an optimal solution?
    • (A) The objective function must be maximized.
    • (B) All the constraints must be active.
    • (C) The solution must be feasible and the optimal value must be reached.
    • (D) The solution must satisfy the dual feasibility condition.

    Answer: (D) The solution must satisfy the dual feasibility condition.

  6. Which of the following is the correct relationship between the primal and dual linear programs?
    • (A) The optimal solution to the primal problem is always the optimal solution to the dual problem.
    • (B) The objective values of the primal and dual problems are equal at optimality.
    • (C) The dual problem cannot be solved if the primal problem has a solution.
    • (D) The primal problem must have an optimal solution for the dual to be feasible.

    Answer: (B) The objective values of the primal and dual problems are equal at optimality.

  7. What does the ‘dual gap’ refer to in linear programming?
    • (A) The difference between the primal and dual objective function values.
    • (B) The distance between the primal feasible region and the dual feasible region.
    • (C) The sum of the slack variables in the primal problem.
    • (D) The sum of the artificial variables in the dual problem.

    Answer: (A) The difference between the primal and dual objective function values.

  8. Which of the following is true about the Simplex method?
    • (A) It can only be used for maximization problems.
    • (B) It always finds the global optimum for linear problems.
    • (C) It is guaranteed to find an optimal solution in polynomial time.
    • (D) It is not applicable for problems with integer constraints.

    Answer: (B) It always finds the global optimum for linear problems.

  9. In linear programming, what is the significance of a slack variable in a constraint?
    • (A) It represents a non-negativity condition for the variables.
    • (B) It converts the inequality constraint into an equality.
    • (C) It defines the objective function in a maximization problem.
    • (D) It increases the value of the objective function.

    Answer: (B) It converts the inequality constraint into an equality.

  10. If a linear programming problem has multiple optimal solutions, what happens in the Simplex method?
  • (A) The Simplex method will stop at the first optimal solution found.
  • (B) The Simplex method will keep iterating until all solutions are found.
  • (C) The Simplex method will always find one solution, but other optimal solutions cannot be found.
  • (D) The Simplex method will never stop, as there is an infinite number of optimal solutions.

Answer: (A) The Simplex method will stop at the first optimal solution found.