Optimization is the way of life. We all have finite resources and time and we want to make the most of them. From using your time productively to solving supply chain problems for your company – everything uses optimization. It’s an especially interesting and relevant topic in data science.

It is also a very interesting topic – it starts with simple problems, but it can get very complex. For example, sharing a bar of chocolate between siblings is a simple optimization problem. We don’t think in mathematical terms while solving it. On the other hand, devising inventory and warehousing strategy for an e-tailer can be very complex. Millions of SKUs with different popularity in different regions to be delivered in defined time and resources – you see what I mean!

Linear programming (LP) is one of the simplest ways to perform optimization. It helps you solve some very complex optimization problems by making a few simplifying assumptions. As an analyst, you are bound to come across applications and problems to be solved by Linear Programming.

For some reason, LP doesn’t get as much attention as it deserves while learning data science. So, I thought let me do justice to this awesome technique. I decided to write an article that explains Linear programming in simple English. I have kept the content as simple as possible. The idea is to get you started and excited about Linear Programming.