Peter L. Jackson
School of Operations Research and Industrial Engineering
Cornell University
Sponsored in part by the National Science Foundation Synthesis Coalition for Engineering Education.
The Illustrated Pivot is an interactive book to illustrate the fundamental step in the simplex method of linear programming.
Linear programming
High school algebra. The exercise has been used with Engineering Juniors. It is planned for use with Engineering Freshmen.
The exercise is designed to be run in a 2 hour microcomputer laboratory period. It is also used during lecture.
The exercise must be preceded or accompanied by a lecture based on Chapter 2 of Vasek Chvatal's text "Linear Programming" (W.H. Freeman and Company: New York) 1983.
Microsoft Windows 3.1
Asymmetrix Runtime Toolbook v.1.5
Microsoft Excel 2.1+ (Optional)
Public domain. Modify exercise as you wish.
Has only been used once. Student reviews were mixed. When used in lecture, the instructor must take care not to step through the pivot too quickly. It appears to have been a valuable laboratory exercise. However, until the students actually perform the pivot calculations manually, the theory doesn't stick.
Students on their own initiative used the software to check their calculations in subsequent homework exercises.