Reflective Writing for Optimization Project

For this project we were asked to calculate the optimal number of TV and Radio ads

within a budget. We were also given a maximum number of ads made, and the ratio for how

many TV ads per Radio ad (or vice versa).

An application of this type of analysis could include optimizing profits for other companies.

For example, a toy store would need to use this kind of calculation to decide what toys

would be best to invest in given a budget. It could also be used when deciding what

materials to use for building a building or a structure with a budget.

This kind of analysis is important for advertising agencies to be able to explain the details

to their clients because their clients will want to know that they know what they’re doing.

Also, if there is information missing, or the answer is not what the client wanted, the

agency could discuss with them how to fix it or change it. If the given information changed

this would move the points at which the vertices met, which would change the answer. For

example, if the budget were expanded, the number in the answer would be higher as there

would be a bigger budget. A smaller answer would lower the vertices and lower the number

for the highest optimal number.

If the results weren’t at integer values, I would round them down, to not exceed the budget.

The numbers can’t exceed the budget, so it’s better to go lower; a company would not want

to go into debt. At the same time, though, it would also be good for the advertising agency

to talk to the company about it and ask what they would like to do.
The assignment did not change my opinion about math. I feel like I’m pretty good at math,

but it’s still not my favorite subject. I always knew that in certain contexts, math has an

integral and important role. It was good to expand my knowledge of how math is used in

the workplace and in the world and I appreciated being able to see what other ways math is

used. So, in conclusion, my opinion about the usefulness of math was not changed

because I already knew it was useful, but the project helped me to expand my knowledge

of its usefulness to things other than figuring out how much paint you need for your walls or

how much square footage of carpet you need for your floor.