The linear programming environment is designed to provide students to tackle any two-variable linear programming problem. In other words the context is production of two different items X and Y with a view to optimising profit. The variables x and y represent the number of items X and Y respectively.
After formulating a linear programming problem students should be able to plot the constraints and find the feasible region.
An interesting feature of this interactivity is that students can explore and test different scenarios and in so doing gain an understanding of sensitivity analysis.
Whilst this interactivity is geared towards linear programming solutions, it can also be used for other purposes such as solving simultaneous equations graphically and finding overlapping regions of linear inequalities.
Students may be given any linear programming production problem and asked to formulate mathematical expressions for the given constraints. They can then explore the key questions.
A structured start may be helpful for less confident or less experienced students. This should enable them to develop a linear inequality for each constraint.
There are a number of problems on NRICH that could be tackled using the interactivity , for example Negatively Triangular and Matchless. Linear programming problems can be found around the internet, for example at PurpleMath and Algebra.