Binary variables are useful for modeling
A) the fixed-charge problem
B) the assignment problem
C) the transportation problem
D) the shortest route problem

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Binary variables are used to represent decisions that can only take on two possible values, typically 0 or 1. The fixed-charge problem and the assignment problem both involve binary decisions. In the fixed-charge problem, a decision must be made whether or not to incur a fixed cost in order to obtain a certain benefit. In the assignment problem, a set of tasks must be assigned to a set of workers, with each worker being assigned at most one task. Binary variables are commonly used to model both of these problems. While binary variables can also be used to model the transportation problem and shortest route problem, these problems can often be modeled more efficiently with continuous variables or other types of constraints.

Binary Variables Are Useful for Modeling