Consider the following problem.

Maximize Z  5x1  3x2  4x3, subject to 2x1  x2  x3 20 3x1  x2  2x3 30 and x1  0, x2  0, x3  0.

You are given the information that the nonzero variables in the optimal solution are x2 and x3.

(a) Describe how you can use this information to adapt the simplex method to solve this problem in the minimum possible number of iterations (when you start from the usual initial BF solution). Do not actually perform any iterations.

(b) Use the procedure developed in part

(a) to solve this problem by hand. (Do not use your OR Courseware.)