R.M.K.

ENGINEERING COLLEGE
(An Autonomous Institution)
RSM Nagar, Kavaraipettai– 601 206

Question Bank

4th Semester – B.E. / B.Tech.

Computer Science and Business System Engineering

20CB405- Operations Research+ Lab

Part-A (10 x 2 = 20 Marks)

1. What is the Origin of Operations Research?

1. List out a few limitations of Operations Research.

1. Write some significant features of Operations Research.

1. How is Operations research developed?

1. What are the uses of Operations Research?

2. Define the concept of Optimization.

2. What is the Role of Operations Research in Engineering?

2. What is the Role of Operations Research in Business and Management?

2. What is Static model?

2. Explain the Deterministic model Vs. Stochastic model.

3. What are the Basic assumptions of Linear Programming Problem?

3. Define Surplus variable

3. What is meant by optimal solution?

3. What do you mean by Surplus variable?

3. Define pseudo-optimal solution.

4. Define Graphical method of LPP

4. What is convex polyhedron?

4. Define Feasible solution and Optimal solution.

4. Define Artificial Variables.

4. Define Pivot element?

5. What do you mean by transportation model?

5. Define feasible solution and Basic feasible solution in transportation.

5. Explain North West Corner rule.

5. Explain Lowest entry method.

5. Explain Vogel’s approximation method.

6. What is Assignment problem?

6. Describe Mathematical formulation of an assignment problem.

6. Explain the term optimistic time.

6. What are the uses of PERT and CPM?

6. Mention the applications of PERT and CPM.

7. What is the Inventory Control?

7. What is the Demand in Inventory?

7. What is Buffer Stock?

7. What is Inventory policy?

7. What are the types of Inventories?

8. Write any two limitations of ABC analysis

8. Define EOQ model

8. Define POQ model

8. Define Deterministic Inventory model

8. What is the total cost per unit of the inventory in a price break model?

9. State Kendall’s Notation.

9. Define Little’s formula for (M/M/I): ( ∞ /FIFO) model.

9. Classify the customer’s behaviour in queuing system.

9. Explain the term ‘Traffic intensity ‘.

9. What is meant by queue discipline?

10. What is simulation?

10. Write any three limitations of simulation.

10. Write the types of simulation.

10. Define simulation.

10. What are the phases of simulation?

Part – B ( 5 x 13 = 65 Marks)

11.a. i) Explain the General methods for deriving the solutions in Operations Research
in detail (6)
ii) Write the applications of Operations Research (7)

11.a. i) Explain the scope of Operations Research (6)

ii) Describe the three General Methods for solving Operations Research Model
(7)

11.a. Explain the different types of Models in Operations Research with Examples
(13)

11.a. i) Describe the uses of Operations Research (7)

ii) List out the General methods for deriving the solutions in Operations
Research. Explain in details (6)

11.a. State the classification of Models used in Operations Research. Explain in Detail
(13)

11.b. Describe the tools and techniques used in Operations Research (13)

11.b. Describe the six phases of Operations Research. Explain in detail (13)

11.b. Write the different Phases of Operations Research? Explain in detail (13)

11.b. Explain the type of tools and techniques in Operations Research with suitable
example. (13)

11.b. Explain in detail about 1) Formulation of the problems,2) Construction of a

Mathematical Model, 3) Solving 4) Controlling and Updating, 5) Testing the
model and its solution 6) Implementation. (13)

12.a. Solve the following problem graphically

Max 𝑍 = 3𝑥1 + 2𝑥2
Subject to
−2𝑥1 + 𝑥2 ≤ 1
𝑥1 ≤ 2
𝑥1 + 𝑥2 ≤ 3
𝑥1 ≥ 0, 𝑥2 ≥ 0 (13)

12.a. Solve the following LPP by simplex method

Max 𝑍 = 3x1 + 9x2
Subject to
 𝑥1 + 4𝑥2 ≤ 8
2𝑥1 + 5𝑥2 ≤ 20
(13)
2𝑥1 + 3𝑥2 ≤ 18
𝑥1 ≥ 0, 𝑥2 ≥ 0

12.a. Solve the LPP by graphical method

Max 𝑍 = 3x1 + 2x2
Subject to
𝑥1 + 𝑥2 ≤ 4
𝑥1 − 𝑥2 ≤ 2
(13)
𝑥1 ≥ 0, 𝑥2 ≥ 0

12.a. Using simplex method

Maximize 𝐙 = 3𝑥1 + 2𝑥2 + 5𝑥3
subject to
𝑥1 + 2𝑥2 + 𝑥3 ≤ 43
3𝑥1 + 2𝑥3 ≤ 46
(13)
𝑥1 + 4𝑥2 ≤ 42
and 𝑥1 , 𝑥2 , 𝑥3 ≥ 0.

12.a. Solve the following LPP by simplex method

Max 𝑍 = 3x1 + 2x2 + 5𝑥3
Subject to
𝑥1 + 4𝑥2 ≤ 420
3𝑥1 + 2𝑥3 ≤ 460
(13)
𝑥1 + 2𝑥2 + 𝑥3 ≤ 430
𝑥1 ≥ 0, 𝑥2 ≥ 0, 𝑥3 ≥ 0

12.b. Solve the following LPP by Penalty method

Max 𝑍 = 2𝑥1 + 𝑥2 + 3𝑥3

Subject to
4x1 + 6x2 + 3𝑥3 ≤ 8
3x1 − 6x2 − 4𝑥3 ≤ 1 (13)
2x1 + 3x2 − 5𝑥3 ≥ 4
and x1 ≥ 0, x2 ≥ 0

12.b. Solve the following LPP by Penalty method

Min 𝑍 = 4x1 + x2
Subject to
3𝑥1 + 𝑥2 = 3
4𝑥1 + 3𝑥2 ≤ 6
(13)
𝑥1 + 2𝑥2 ≥ 4
and 𝑥1 ≥ 0, 𝑥2 ≥ 0

12.b. Apply the principle of duality solve the following LPP.

Maximize Z = 3x1 + 2x2
Subject to
 𝑥1 + 𝑥2 ≥ 1
𝑥1 + 𝑥2 ≤ 7
(13)
𝑥1 + 2𝑥2 ≤ 10
𝑥2 ≤ 3 and 𝑥1 ≥ 0, 𝑥2 ≥ 0

12.b. Using dual simplex method solve the LPP

Minimize Z = 2x1 + x2
Subject to
3𝑥1 + 𝑥2 ≥ 3
4𝑥1 + 3𝑥2 ≥ 6
(13)
𝑥1 + 2𝑥2 ≥ 3
and 𝑥1 , 𝑥2 ≥ 0

12.b. Use big-M method to solve the following LPP

Min 𝑍 = 2𝑥1 + 3𝑥2
Subject to
x1 + x2 ≥ 5
x1 + 2x2 ≥ 6 (13)
and x1 ≥ 0, x2 ≥ 0

13.a. (i) A department has five employees with five jobs to be performed. The time (in
hours) each man will take to perform each job is given in the cost matrix
Machines
Persons
M1 M2 M3 M4 M5

1 10 5 13 15 16

2 3 9 18 13 6

3 10 7 2 2 2

4 7 11 9 7 12

5 7 9 10 4 12

(6)
(ii) Determine the basic feasible solution to the following transportation problem
by North west corner method.
Distribution centres
Sources Supply
A B C D

S1 2 3 11 7 6

S2 1 0 6 1 1

S3 5 8 15 9 10

Requirements 7 5 3 2

(7)
13.a. Find the optimal solution for the following transportation problem
Warehouse
Sources Supply
A B C D

1 14 56 48 27 70

2 82 35 21 81 47

3 99 31 71 63 93

Demand 70 35 45 60

(13)

13.a. Find the optimal solution from the following transportation problem.
Store
Factory Demand
W1 W2 W3 W4

L1 21 16 25 13 11

L2 17 18 14 23 13

L3 32 27 18 41 19

Supply 6 10 12 15

(13)

13.a. (i) Four different jobs can be done on four different machines. The set up and
take down time costs are assumed to be prohibitively high for changeovers. The
matrix below gives the cost in rupees of processing job 𝑖 on machine𝑗.

Machines
Jobs
1 2 3 4

𝐉𝟏 5 7 11 6

J2 8 5 9 6

J3 4 7 10 7

J4 10 4 8 3

(6)
ii) Determine the basic feasible solution to the following transportation problem
by Vogel’s Approximation method.
Sources Distribution centres
Supply
 A B C D

S1 2 3 11 7 6

S2 1 0 6 1 1

S3 5 8 15 9 10

Requirements 7 5 3 2

(7)

13.a. Find non- degenerate basic feasible solution using the NWC and Vogel’s
approximation Method for the following transportation problem.
Warehouse
Location Demand
W1 W2 W3 W4
L1 10 20 5 7 10
L2 13 9 12 8 20
L3 4 5 7 9 30
L4 14 7 1 0 40
L5 3 12 5 19 50
Supply 60 60 20 10
(13)

13.b. Calculate the total float, free float and independent float for the project whose
activities are given below. Hence determine the critical path and project
duration
Activity 1−2 1−3 1−5 2−3 2−4 3−4 3−5

Duration 8 7 12 4 10 3 5

Activity 3−6 4−6 5−6

Duration 10 7 4 (13)

13.b. Construct the network for the project whose activities are given below and
compute the total float, free float and independent float of each activity and
hence determine the critical path and project duration
Activity 0−1 1−2 1−3 2−4 2−5 3−4 3−6

Duration 3 8 12 6 3 3 8

Activity 4−7 5−7 6−7

Duration 5 3 8

(13)
13.b. A small CPM project consists of 11 activities𝐀, B, … … , J, K. The precedence
relationships are: 𝐴, 𝐵 can start immediately, 𝐀 < 𝐂, 𝐃, 𝐈; 𝐁 < 𝐆, 𝐅;
𝐃 < 𝐆, 𝐅; 𝐅 < 𝐇, 𝐊; 𝐆, 𝐇 < 𝐉; 𝐈, 𝐉, 𝐊 < 𝐄. The durations of the activities are as
below:
Activity A B C D E F G H I J K
Duration 5 3 10 2 8 4 5 6 12 8 9
Draw the network of the project. Summarize the CPM calculations in a tabular
form, computing total floats , free floats and Independent floats of activities and
hence determine critical path. (13)

13.b. Calculate the total float, free float and independent float for the project whose
activities are given below. Hence determine the critical path and project
duration

Activity 1−2 1−3 2−4 3−4 3−5 4−9 5−6

Duration 4 1 1 1 6 5 4

Activity 5−7 6−8 7−8 8−9 8 − 10 9 − 10

Duration 8 1 2 1 8 7

(13)

13.b. Construct the network for the project whose activities are given below and
compute the total float, free float and independent float of each activity and
hence determine the critical path and project duration
Activity 0−1 1−2 1−3 2−4 2−5 3−4 3−6

Duration 3 8 12 6 3 3 8

Activity 4−7 5−7 6−7

Duration 5 3 8

(13 )

14.a. The production department for a company requires 3,600 kg of raw material for
manufacturing particular item per year. It has been estimated that the cost of
placing an order is Rs 36 and the cost of carrying inventory is 25 per cent of the
investment in the inventories. The price is Rs .10 per kg. The purchase manager
wishes to determine an ordering policy for the raw material. (13 )

14.a. A firm uses 12,000 units of a raw material every year costing Rs 1.25 per unit.
Ordering cost is RS.15 per order and the holding cost is 5% per year of average
inventory.(a) Find the economic order quantity.(b) The firm follows EOQ
purchasing policy. It operates for 300 days per year. Procurement time in 14 days
and safety stock is 400 units. Find the reorder point, the maximum inventory and
the average inventory. (13)

14.a. An aircraft company uses rivets at an approximate customer rate of 2,500 kg per
year. Each unit costs Rs 30 per kg and the company personnel estimate that it
costs Rs 130 to place an order, and that the Carrying cost of inventory is 10 per
 cent per year. How frequently should orders for rivets be placed? Also, determine
the optimum size of each order (13)

14.a. A contractor has to supply 10,000 bearings per day to an automobile

manufacturer. He finds that when he starts production run he can produce 25,000
bearings per day. The holding cost of a bearing in stock is Rs.0.02 per year. Set-
up cost of a production is Rs.18. How frequently should production run be made?
(13)

14.a. For a fixed order quantity system, find out (i) economic order quantity
(ii) optimum buffer stock (iii) reorder level, for an item with the following data
Annual consumption (D)=10,000 units, cost of one unit= Re 1.00,
𝐶𝑠 = 𝑅𝑠. 12 per production run, 𝐶1 = 𝑅𝑒 0.24 per unit. Past lead time: 15 days,
25days,13 days,14 days, 30 days,17days. (13)

14.b. Classify the following data using ABC Analysis and explain with graphical
presentation
Items Annual Unit
demand cost
1 48000 5
2 2000 11
3 300 15
4 800 8
5 4800 7
6 1200 16
7 18000 20
8 300 4
9 5000 9
10 500 12
(13 marks)

14.b. Explain the procedure of ABC analysis with suitable graph. (13 marks)

14.b. Classify the following data using ABC Analysis and explain with graphical
presentation
Model Annual Unit
number demand cost
501 30,000 10
502 2,80,000 15
503 3000 10
504 1,10,000 5
505 4000 5
506 2,20,000 10
507 15,000 5
508 80,000 5
509 60,000 15
510 8000 10
(13)

14.b. Classify the following data using ABC Analysis and explain with graphical
presentation
 No 10 30 40 60 70 80 100 20 40 90
of
units
Unit 200 108 500 45 332 268 344 111 224 211
Price
(13 )

15.a. A petrol station has 4 pumps. The service times follow the exponential
distribution with a mean of 6 min. and cars arrive for service in a Poisson
process at the rate of 30 cars per hour.
(a) What is the probability that an arrival would have to wait in line? (4)
(b) Find the average waiting time in the queue (3)
( c) Find average time spent in the system (3)
(d) Find the average number of cars in the system. (3)

15.a. Customers arrive at one-man barber shop according to a Poisson process with a
mean Inter arrival time of 12 min. customers spend an average of 10 min. in
the barber’s chair.
(i) What is the excepted number of customers in the barber shop and in the
queue? (3)
(ii) Calculate the % of time of arrival, can walk straight into the barber’s chair
without having to wait. (4)
(iii) How much time can customer expect to spend in the Barber’s shop? (3)
(iv)What is the average time customer spends in the queue? (3)

15.a. There are three typists in an office. Each typist can type an average of 6 letters
per hour. If letters arrive for being typed at the rate of 15 letters per hour,
(a) What is the probability that all the typists will be busy? (3)
(b) What is the average number of letters waiting to be typed? (4)
(c) What is the average time a letter has to spend for waiting? (3)
(d) What is the average time a letter for being typed? (3)

15.a. A petrol station has 4 pumps. The service times follow the exponential
distribution with a mean of 6 min. and cars arrive for service in a Poisson
process at the rate of 30 cars per hour.
(a) What is the probability that an arrival would have to wait in line? (4)
(b) Find the average waiting time in the queue (3)
( c) Find average time spent in the system (3)
(d) Find the average number of cars in the system. (3)

15.a. Customers arrive at one-man barber shop according to a Poisson process with a
mean Inter arrival time of 12 min. customers spend an average of 10 min. in the
barber’s chair.
(i) What is the excepted number of customers in the barber shop and in
the queue? (3)
 (ii) Calculate the % of time of arrival, can walk straight into the barber’s
chair without having to wait. (4)
(iii) How much time can customer expect to spend in the Barber’s shop?(3)
(iv) What is the average time customer spends in the queue? (3)

15.b. Patients arrive at a clinic according to Poisson distribution at a rate of 30

patients per hour. The waiting room does not accommodate more than 14
patients. Examination time per patient is exponential with mean rate of 20
per hour.
(i) Find the effective arrival rate at the clinic. (3)
(ii) What is the probability that an arriving patients will not
wait? (4)
(iii) What is the excepted waiting time until a patient is
discharged from the clinic? (3)
(iv) What is the excepted waiting time of a patient in the queue
(3)

15.b. Customers arrive at a milk booth for the required service. Assume that
inter-arrival and service time are constants and given by 1.5 and 4
minutes, respectively. ? (Assume that the system starts at = 0 ).
(i) Simulate the system by hand computation for 14 minutes. (5)
(ii) What is the waiting time per customer? (4)
(iii) What is the percentage idle time for the facility (4)

15.b. A one person barber shop can accommodate a maximum of 5 people at a time
( 4 waiting and 1 getting hair-cut). Customers arrive according to a Poisson
distribution with mean 5 / hr. The barber cuts hair at an average rate of 4 / hr.
(i) What % of time is the barber idle? (4)
(ii) What fraction of the potential customers is turned away? (3)
(iii) What is the expected number of customers waiting for a hair-cut?(3)
(iv) How much times can a customer except to spend in the barber shop?
(3)

15.b. Customers arrive at a milk booth for the required service. Assume that
inter-arrival and service time are constants and given by 1.5 and 4
minutes, respectively.? (Assume that the system starts at = 0 ).
(iv) Simulate the system by hand computation for 14 minutes. (5)
(v) What is the waiting time per customer? (4)
(vi) What is the percentage idle time for the facility (4)

15.b. Trains arrive at the yard every 15 minutes and the service time is 33
minutes. If the line capacity of the yard is limited to 5 trains, find the
probability that the yard is empty and the average number of trains in the
system and queue, given that the inter arrival time and the service time are
following exponential distribution. Also find the waiting time of the train in
the system and in queue. (13)

Part – C ( 1 x 15 = 15 Marks)
16.a. ABC Company produces both interior and exterior paints from 2 raw
materials M1 and M2 . The following table produces basic data of problem
Exterior paint Interior paint Availability
M1 6 4 24
M2 1 2 6
Profit per ton 5 4
A market survey indicates that daily demand for interior paint cannot exceed that
for exterior paint by more than 1 ton. Also maximum daily demand for interior
paint is 2 tons. Formulate LPP to determine the best product mix of interior and
exterior paints that maximizes the daily total profit. (15)

16.a. A manufacturer of furniture makes two products – chairs and tables. Processing
of this product is done on two machines A and B. A chair requires 2 hours on
machine A and 6 hours on machine B. A table requires 5 hours on machine A
and no time on machine B. There are 16 hours of time per day available on
machine A and 30 hours on machine B. Profit gained by the manufacturer from
a chair and a table is Rs.2 and Rs.10 respectively. What should be the daily
production of each of two products? (15)

16.a. A manufacturer produces two types of models 𝑀1 and 𝑀2 .Each 𝑀1 model

requires 4 hours of grinding and 2 hours of polishing; whereas each 𝑀2 model
requires 2 hours of grinding and 5 hours of polishing. The manufacturer has 2
grinders and 3 polishers. Each grinder works for 40 hours a week and each
polisher works for 60 hours a week. Profit on an 𝑀1 model is Rs.3 and on an
𝑀2 model is Rs.4. Whatever is produced in a week is sold in the market. How
should the manufacturer allocate his product capacity to the two types of models
so that he may make the maximum profit in a week? Formulate and solve the
LPP (15)

16.a. A company produces two different products A and B. The company makes a
profit of Rs. 40 and Rs. 30 per unit on A and B respectively. The production
process has a capacity of 30,000-man hours. It takes 3 hours to produce one unit
of A and one hour to produce one unit of B. The market survey indicates that the
maximum number of units A that can be sold is 8,000 and those of B is 12,000
units. Formulate the problem and solve it by graphical method to get maximum
profit. (15)

16.a. A manufacturer of furniture makes two products – chairs and tables. Processing
of this product is done on two machines A and B. A chair requires 2 hours on
machine A and 6 hours on machine B. A table requires 5 hours on machine A
and no time on machine B. There are 16 hours of time per day available on
machine A and 30 hours on machine B. Profit gained by the manufacturer from
a chair and a table is Rs.2 and Rs.10 respectively. What should be the daily
production of each of two products? (15)

16.b. The following table indicates the details of a project. The durations are in days.
‘A‘ refers to optimistic time , ‘M’ refers most likely time and ‘B’ refers to
pessimistic time durations. Compute i) Expected duration of each activity, ii)
Expected variance of each activity iii) Expected variance of the project length
 Activity 𝟏−𝟐 𝟏−𝟑 𝟏−𝟒 𝟐−𝟒 𝟐−𝟓 𝟑−𝟓 𝟒−𝟓

A 2 3 4 8 6 2 2

M 4 4 5 9 8 3 5

B 5 6 6 11 1 4 7

(15)

16.b. Construct the network for the project whose activities and the three time
estimates of these activities (in weeks) are given below. Compute i) Expected
duration of each activity, ii) Expected variance of each activity iii) Expected
variance of the project length

Activity 𝒕𝟎 𝒕𝒎 𝒕𝒑

1−2 2 4 5

1−3 3 4 6

1−4 4 5 6

2−4 8 9 11

2−5 6 8 12

3−4 2 3 4

4−5 2 5 7

(15)

16.b. Construct the network for the project whose activities and the three time
estimates of these activities (in weeks) are given below. Compute i) Expected
duration of Each activity, ii) Expected variance of each activity iii) Expected
variance of the project length
Activity 𝒕𝟎 𝒕𝒎 𝒕𝒑

1−2 3 4 5

2−3 1 2 3
 2−4 2 3 4

3−5 3 4 5

4−5 1 3 5

4−6 3 5 7

5−7 4 5 6

6−7 6 7 8

7−8 2 4 6

7−9 1 2 3

8 − 10 4 6 8

9 − 10 3 5 7

(15)

16.b. A project consists of the following activities and time estimates: a) Draw the
network . Compute b) Expected duration of Each activity, c) Expected variance
of each activity d) Expected variance of the project length

Activity Least Greatest Most

time(days) time(days) likely
time(days)

𝟏−𝟐 3 15 6

𝟐−𝟑 2 14 5

𝟏−𝟒 6 30 12

𝟐−𝟓 2 8 5

𝟐−𝟔 5 17 11

𝟑−𝟔 3 15 6

𝟒−𝟕 3 27 9
 𝟓−𝟕 1 7 4

𝟔−𝟕 2 8 5

(15)

16.b. The following table indicates the details of a project. The durations are in days.
‘A‘ refers to optimistic time , ‘M’ refers most likely time and ‘B’ refers to
pessimistic time durations. Compute i) Expected duration of each activity,
ii) Expected variance of each activity iii) Expected variance of the project length

Activity 𝟏−𝟐 𝟏−𝟑 𝟏−𝟒 𝟐−𝟒 𝟐−𝟓 𝟑−𝟓 𝟒−𝟓

a 2 3 4 8 6 2 2

m 4 4 5 9 8 3 5

b 5 6 6 11 1 4 7

(15)