Method of Linear Programming as an Idea for High School Curriculum

Abstract

Since the middle of the 20th century, mathematical modeling by means of optimization problems has been widespread in scientific applications. Together with the software developed, it has a real impact on practice, thus changing the ideas of society about the role of mathematics, computer science, and information technologies. The present paper is aimed to show the accessibility of some basic notions and methods of linear programming and integer linear programming to the high school students. It also gives credit to R. Kaltinska and G. Hristov [1] who around three decades ago included for a short period of time these methods into the high school mathematics curriculum in Bulgaria. Besides classical applications, here we show almost unknown in educational practices methods for solving some mathematical problems. Among the examples are recreational problems helpful for building connections between mathematics and the humanities. Free software, appropriate for the considered problems is also introduced: it can be used separately or in combination with elementary program codes.