Explanation of the

entries in any simplex

tableau in terms of
the entries of the
starting tableau
In this lecture we explain how the
starting Simplex tableau (in matrix
form) gets transformed after some
iterations. We also give the meaning of
the entries in the new tableau in terms of
the entries of the starting tableau. We
illustrate how we can write the simplex
tableau from the starting tableau by
choosing a different set of basic
variables.
The Simplex tableau in Matrix form
Consider the LPP in matrix form as:
z = cX
Subject to
=
> >
AX b
X 0, b 0
Maximize (or Minimize)
The problem can be written equivalently as
1 0 z
| | | | | |
=
| | |
\ . \ . \ .
c
0 A X b
Suppose B is a m x m non-singular sub-matrix of
the coefficient matrix A. Let X
B
be the
corresponding set of basic variables with c
B
as its
associated objective vector. The corresponding
solution (and the objective function value ) may be
computed as follows:
1
1 0 0
1
z



| | | |
| | | | | | | |
= = =
| |
| | | |
\ . \ . \ . \ .
\ . \ .
-
1 1
B
B B
1 1
B
c
c B c B b
X 0 B b b
0 B B b
1 0 z
| | | | | |
=
| | |
\ . \ . \ .
-
B
B
c
X 0 B b
Size
m1
Hence
The general simplex tableau in matrix form can be
derived from the original equations as follows:
1 0
1 1
z


| | | |
| | | | | |
=
| |
| | |
\ . \ . \ .
\ . \ .
1 1
B B
1 1
c
c B c B
0 A X b
0 B 0 B
Multiplying out the matrices, we get
1
z


| | | |
| |
=
| |
|
\ .
\ . \ .
-
1 1
B B
1 1
c B A C c B b
X
0 B A B b
Thus in the new simplex tableau the z column will be

1
0
.
.
0
(
(
(
(
(
(
(

The column of x
j
(in the constraint equations) will
be is the jth column of A.
The solution column will be
(Note: The text book uses the symbol P
j
for the jth column
of A.)
1
, where
j j
A A

B
1
.

B b
And in the z-row, the coefficient of x
j
will be
Finally the solution entry in the z-row will be
In matrix form the new tableau will look like
Basic z Solution
z 1
1
B b
1
A

B
0
B
X
1
j j j j
A c z c

=
B
c B
1
B
c B b
1
A c

B
c B
1
B
c B b
X
Basic z x
j
Solution
z 1
1
B b
1
j
A

B
0
B
X
1
j j
A c

B
c B
1
B
c B b
In terms of the components x
j
, the new
tableau will look like

Problem 3 Problem Set 7.1C Pages 296-297
In the following LPP, compute the entire simplex
tableau associated with X
B
= (x
1
, x
2
, x
5
)
T
:
Minimize
1 2
2 z x x = +
Subject to
1 2 3
1 2 4
1 2 5
1 2 3 4 5
3 3
4 3 6
2 3
, , , , 0
x x x
x x x
x x x
x x x x x
+ =
+ =
+ + =
>
In matrix form the LPP is
z = cX
Subject to
,
=
> >
A X b
X 0 b 0
Minimize
where
(Continues on the next slide)
3 1 1 0 0
4 3 0 1 0
1 2 0 0 1
A

(
(
=
(
(

3
6
3
b
(
(
=
(
(

| |
1 2 5
3 1 0
4 3 0
1 2 1
B A A A
(
(
= =
(
(

where
| |
2 1 0 0 0 c =
The new Simplex tableau in matrix form is
1
3 1
0
5 5
4 3
0
5 5
1 1 1

(
(
(
=
(
(

(
(

B
Basic z Solution
z 1
1
B b
1
A

B
0
B
X
1
A c

B
c B
1
B
c B b
X
Thus the new solution is
3/ 5 1/ 5 0 3
4/ 5 3/ 5 0 6
1 1 1 3

( (
( (
=
( (
( (

3/ 5
6/ 5
0
(
(
(
(

The new constraint columns in the body of the tableau
are:
1
1 2 3 4 5
[ , , , , ] A A A A A

= B
1 1 1 1 1
1 2 3 4 5
[ , , , , ] A A A A A

= B B B B B
1
B b =
=
B
X
1 0 3/ 5 1/ 5 0
0 1 4/ 5 3/ 5 0
0 0 1 1 1

(
(

(
(

The coefficients of x
j
in the z-row are
and so are
0, 0, -2, -1/5, 0 .
1
, 1, 2,3, 4,5
j j
A c j

=
B
c B
Finally the solution in the RHS of z-row is:
12/5
Hence the associated Simplex tableau is:
Basic z x1 x2 x3 x4 x5 Sol
z
x1
x2
x5
1
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
1
0
-3/5
-4/5
-1
1/5
-3/5
1
0
0
1
3/5
6/5
0
1
B
c B b =
12/5 0 0 -2 -1/5 0
Consider the following LPP
Maximize
1 2 3
2 z x x x = +
subject to
1 2 3
1 2 3
1 2 3
1 2 3
2 2 3 5
3
2
, , 0
x x x
x x x
x x x
x x x
+ s
+ s
+ s
>
After introducing the slack variables
to the respective constraints, the problem becomes
Maximize
1 2 3
2 z x x x = +
subject to
1 2 3 4
1 2 3 5
1 2 3 6
1 2 3 4 5 6
2 2 3 5
3
2
, , , , , 0
x x x x
x x x x
x x x x
x x x x x x
+ + =
+ + =
+ + =
>
4 5 6
, , x x x
So the starting simplex tableau is
Basic z x1 x2 x3 x4 x5 x6 Sol
z
x4
x5
x6

1
0
0
0
-1
2
1
1
1
-2
1
-1
-2
3
-1
1
0
1
0
0

0
0
1
0
0
0
0
1

0
5
3
2
After we apply the Simplex method a portion of the
final tableau is as follows:
Basic z x1 x2 x3 x4 x5 x6 Sol
z
x2
x6
x3

1
0
0
0
1
1
0
1

1
3
1
2
0
0
1
0


Identify the missing numbers.
Since are the basic variables in the
final tableau in that order, the basic matrix B is
formed by the columns corresponding to these
variables in the starting tableau in that order. Thus
2 6 3
, , x x x
Now B
-1
is found below the variables
4 5 6
, , x x x
(which were the starting Basic variables) in the
final tableau. Thus
2 0 3
1 0 1
1 1 1
B

(
(
=
(
(

1
1 3 0
B 0 1 1
1 2 0

(
(
=
(
(

The new column corresponding to x
1
in the final
tableau is
1
1
1 3 0 2 5
B 0 1 1 1 2
1 2 0 1 4
A

( ( (
( ( (
= =
( ( (
( ( (

The new column corresponding to x
2
in the
final tableau is

1
0
0
(
(
(
(

as it is the first basic variable in the final tableau.
The new column corresponding to x
3
in the final
tableau is
0
0
1
(
(
(
(

as it is the third basic variable in the final tableau.
The solution column (in the constraint equations)
in the final tableau is
14
5
11
(
(
(
(

Now
Thus entry below x
1
in z-row is = 3-1= 2
Entries below x
2
, x
3
in z-row are zero as they are
basic variables.
Finally soln = z =
= 8
1
1 3 0 5
0 1 1 3
1 2 0 2
B b

( (
( (
= =
( (
( (

| |
1 0 2
B
C =
1
1 1
A c

B
C B
1
=
B
C B b
| |
1 0 2
14
5
11
(
(
(
(

Answer:
Basic z x
1
x
2
x
3
x
4
x
5
x
6
Sol
z
x
2
x
6
x
3

1
0
0
0
5
2
4
1
0
0
0
0
1
1
1
0
1
1
3
1
2
0
0
1
0
14
5
11
8
2 0 0
All these are shown below.
Consider the following LPP
Maximize
1 2 3 4
4 3 2 z x x x x = + + +
subject to
1 2 3 4
1 2 3 4
1 2 3 4
4 2 5
3 2 4
, , , 0
x x x x
x x x x
x x x x
+ + + s
+ + + s
>
After introducing the slack variables
to the respective constraints, the problem becomes
Maximize
subject to
5 6
, x x
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 6
1 2 3 4 5 6
4 2 5
3 2 4
, , , , , 0
x x x x x
x x x x x
x x x x x x
+ + + + =
+ + + + =
>
1 2 3 4
4 3 2 z x x x x = + + +
So the starting simplex tableau is
Basic z x1 x2 x3 x4 x5 x6 Sol
z
x5
x6

1
0
0
-4
4
3
-3
2
1
-1
1
2
-2
1
1

0
1
0
0
0
1

0
5
4
After we apply the Simplex method a portion of the
final tableau is as follows:
Basic z x1 x2 x3 x4 x5 x6 Sol
z
x2
x4

1
0
0





1
1
-1
1
-1
2

Identify the missing numbers.
Since are the basic variables in the
final tableau in that order, the basic matrix B is
formed by the columns corresponding to these
variables in the starting tableau in that order. Thus
2 4
, x x
2 1
1 1
(
=
(

B
Now B
-1
is found below the variables
5 6
, x x
(which were the starting Basic variables) in the
final tableau. Thus
1
1 1
B
1 2

(
=
(

The new column corresponding to x
1
in the final
tableau is
1
1
1 1 4 1
B
1 2 3 2
A

( ( (
= =
( ( (

The new column corresponding to x
3
in the final
tableau is
1
3
1 1 1 1
B
1 2 2 3
A

( ( (
= =
( ( (

The new column corresponding to x
2
in the final
tableau is

1
0
(
(

as it is the first basic variable in the final tableau.
The new column corresponding to x
4
in the final
tableau is
0
1
(
(

as it is the second basic variable in the final tableau.
The solution column (in the constraint equations)
in the final tableau is
1
1 1 5
B
1 2 4
b

( (
= =
( (

1
3
(
(

Thus entry below x
1
in z-row is
7 - 4 = 3
Entries below x
2
, x
4
in z-row are zero as they are basic
variables.
Finally solution = z =
= 9
Thus entry below x
3
in z-row is 3-1= 2
1
1 1
B
B
c A c

=
1
3 3
B
B
c A c

=
1
B
B
c b

=
1
3
(
(

| |
3 2
Note that
B
c =
| |
3 2
| |
3 2
1
2
(
(

- 4 =
Answer:
Basic z x1 x2 x3 x4 x5 x6 Sol
z
x2
x4

1
0
0





1
1
1
1
-1
2

1
2
-1
3
1
0
0
1
3 0 2 0
1
3
9
All these are shown below.