Name: SUSAN ARELLANO

Section

Course:

Optimizing an Advertising Campaign

Math 1010 Intermediate Algebra Project
Background Information:
Linear Programming is a technique used for optimization of a real-world situation. Examples of
optimization include maximizing the number of items that can be manufactured or minimizing
the cost of production. The equation that represents the quantity to be optimized is called the
objective function, since the objective of the process is to optimize the value. In this project the
objective is to maximize the number of people who will be reached by an advertising campaign.
The objective is subject to limitations or constraints that are represented by inequalities.
Limitations on the number of items that can be produced, the number of hours that workers are
available, and the amount of land a farmer has for crops are examples of constraints that can be
represented using inequalities. Broadcasting an infinite number of advertisements is not a
realistic goal. In this project one of the constraints will be based on an advertising budget.
Graphing the system of inequalities based on the constraints provides a visual representation of
the possible solutions to the problem. If the graph is a closed region, it can be shown that the
values that optimize the objective function will occur at one of the "corners" of the region.
The Problem:
In this project you will solve the following situation:
A local business plans on advertising their new product by purchasing
advertisements on the radio and on TV. The business plans to purchase at least 60
total ads and they want to have at most twice as many radio ads as TV ads. Radio
ads cost $20 each and TV ads cost $80 each. The advertising budget is $4320. It is
estimated that each radio ad will be heard by 1750 listeners and each TV ad will be
seen by 2500 people. How many of each type of ad should be purchased to
maximize the number of people who will be reached by the advertisements? This
report should be submitted with the assumption that it is a report that will be
presented to your employer. Neatness and organization will be a part of the grade.
Anything I have to search too hard for will be considered upgradeable. If you have
doubts about your work, share this with your own employer or a person in authority
for feedback.

Submission:
1. To submit this assignment you will post it in your ePortfolio. Give the file a descriptive
name, not just Project 2. After you post your assignment, send me an email in ALEKS
with the web address of your ePortfolio home page.

2. Email your project to me in a Word file to: theprof@professormathguy.com

If you do not do both of these things, your project will not be graded.
Modeling the Problem:
Let X be the number of radio ads that are purchased and Y be the number of TV ads. Please use
the Equation editor to insert the desired inequalities and function. You will find the editor under
the Insert tab.
1. Write down a linear inequality for the total number of desired ads.
60 X +Y

2. Write down a linear inequality for the cost of the ads.

4320 20 X +80 Y
3. Recall that the business wants at most twice as many radio ads as TV ads. Write down a
linear inequality that expresses this fact.
Y 2 X
4. There are two more constraints that must be met. These relate to the fact that there
cannot be s negative numbers of advertisements. Write the two inequalities that model
these constraints:
X 0
Y 0

5. Next, write down the function for the number of people that will be exposed to the
advertisements. This is the Objective Function for the problem.

1750X+2500Y

You now have five linear inequalities and an objective function. These together describe the
situation. This combined set of inequalities and objective function make up what is known
mathematically as a linear programming problem. Write all of the inequalities and the
objective function together below. This is typically written as a list of constraints, with the
objective function last.
60 X +Y
4320 20 X +80 Y

Y 2 X

X 0
Y 0

P=1750 X +2500 Y

6. On your own paper perform the computations necessary to construct the graph. When
you have completed the computations, scan them and insert them after this page in to
page(s) of this document. If you need more than one page to complete your calculations,
use only one side of a clean sheet of paper for each page and insert each page you create
into its own document page.
The overlapping shaded portion of the graph you will create is called the feasible region.
Any (x,y) point in the feasible region corresponds to a possible number of radio and TV
ads that will meet the requirements and constraints of the problem. However, the value
that will maximize the number of people exposed to the ads will occur at one of the three
vertices or corners of the feasible region. Find the coordinates of these corners by solving
the appropriate systems of Linear equations. Be sure to keep your work (done by hand)
EXTREMELY neat and organized. Remember continued employment will depend on
the quality of the work you do.
60 X +Y

4320 20 X +80 Y

( 60 X+ Y )20=1200 20 X 20 Y
3120 60 Y =Y 52

4320 20 X +80 ( 52 )=160 20 X=8 x

Points are (8, 52)
60 X +Y

Y 2 X

( 60 X+ Y )2=1202 x 2Y
120 3 Y =40 Y
60 X +40=20 X

Points are (20, 40)

4320 20 X +80 Y

Y 2 X

( Y 2 X )10
432020 X 80 Y
4320 90 Y =48 Y
2 X 48=X 24
Points are (24, 48)
7. After you have completed step 6, list the points necessary to construct the graph. Three of
these points will be the vertices of the feasible region. Using the equation editor, enter the
three vertices here.

( 24, 48 ) , ( 8,52 ) ,(20, 40)

8. To solve this problem, you will need to graph the intersection of all five inequalities on

one common XY plane. Do this using one of the graphing programs suggested in Project
1. I strongly suggest that you use the Graph for Windows program found at:
http://www.padowan.dk/graph/
Of the four programs, this is the most intuitive and easiest to display all of the qualities I
want to see in the graph. Have the bottom left of the graph be the origin, with the
horizontal axis representing X and the vertical axis representing Y. Label the axes with
what they represent (not just x and y.) and label your lines as you graph them. Also, label
each of the vertices. Remember, you are graphing inequalities and they should be
appropriately shaded. Make sure that you set your parameters for the graph so it mainly
shows the positive quadrant only. You will need to specify the minimum tics at about -3
for both x and y for the axes to display.
Optimization to maximize the viewing of a combination of radio and TV adds

75 y
70
65
60
55
50
TV45Ads
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5

Project 2
60<=X+Y
4320>=20X+80Y
2X<=Y

(8, 52)

(24, 48)

X>=0 and Y>=0

4320>=20X+80Y

(20, 40)
60<=X+Y
2X<=Y
x
5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

Radio Ads

50

55

60

65

70

75

9. To find which number of radio and TV ads will maximize the number of people who are exposed
to the business advertisements, evaluate the objective function P for each of the vertices you
found. Show your work. Do these calculations by hand and insert them on this page. These
calculations should be relatively simple and take up little space. You will need to crop your scan
so that it fits in the space below

P=1750 X +2500 Y

( 24, 48 ) , ( 8,52 ) ,(20, 40)

P=1750( 24)+ 2500(48)

P=162,000

P=1750( 8)+2500 (52)

P=144,000

P=1750( 20)+2500( 40)

P=135,000

10. Write a complete sentence describing how many of each type of advertisement should be
purchased and what is the maximum number of people who will be exposed to the ad.
Based on my calculations, the local business should purchase 24 radio ads and 48 television ads.
If this is done than 162,000 people will be exposed to the ad, more than any other combination of
television and radio ads.

11. Reflective Writing.

Did this project change the way you think about how math can be applied to the real world?
Write one or two paragraphs stating what ideas changed and why. If this project did not change
the way you think, write how this project gave further evidence to support your existing opinion
about applying math. Be specific.
This did not change the way a thought about math and applying it to the real world. I
already knew that math is very important in most professions and is applicable in a daily basis.
This project was just one problem of how it could be used in everyday life. If somebody is
creating or even thinking about starting a company, should be well rehearsed in math to perfect
their business model and make sure they are maximizing their potential.