Yksinkertaismenetelmä

Yksinkertaismenetelmä is a Finnish term that translates to "simplification method" or "simplex method" in English. It is primarily known as an algorithm used in linear programming to solve optimization problems. Linear programming deals with finding the best possible outcome in a mathematical model where the objective and the constraints are expressed as linear relationships.

The simplex method systematically explores the vertices of the feasible region, which is the set of all possible solutions that satisfy the constraints. It starts at one vertex and moves to an adjacent vertex that improves the objective function value. This process continues iteratively until an optimal solution is found, meaning no further improvement is possible. The method guarantees finding the optimal solution if one exists, and it can also detect if the problem is unbounded or infeasible.

While the term "yksinkertaismenetelmä" can broadly refer to any technique that simplifies a problem, its most common and technical meaning in mathematics and operations research is the simplex algorithm. This algorithm was developed by George Dantzig in 1947 and has been a cornerstone of optimization theory for decades. It is widely used in various fields, including economics, engineering, and logistics, for resource allocation, production planning, and scheduling. The efficiency of the simplex method can vary depending on the specific problem, but it is generally considered a practical and effective tool for solving linear programming problems.