Project: Application of Linear Programming in the Health Industry
Estimating Food Nutrient Values
Option I
Models and Methods of Optimization, Fall 1999
Overview of Project
Each student will utilize the LP model described in
the article
"Minnesota's Nutrition Coordinating Center Uses Mathematical Optimization
to Estimate Food Nutrient Values" to estimate the nutritional value
of a food product given the nutritional values of some basic ingredients
and the ingredient list of the product in increasing order of weight.
The
student will then write a report discussing the results of the estimation.
The project will be graded primarily on
the final project report, due on Monday, November 29, 1999 at the beginning of
lecture. Details of the
requirements of the final project report and grading criteria are described
below.
The article,
"Minnesota's Nutrition Coordinating Center Uses Mathematical Optimization
to Estimate Food Nutrient Values"
by
Brian J. Westrich, Michael A. Altmann and Sandra J. Potthoff,
appears in Interfaces Vol. 28, No. 5,
September-October 1998 (pp. 86-99). It can be found
in Hunt Library's Bounded Journal Section (located on the 3rd floor) and
it is on reserve (behind the circulation counter on the 1st floor).
This article (and its abstract) can also be downloaded
from the
Interfaces Webpage
(login as Guest).
Project Timeline
- Read the assigned article, "Minnesota's Nutrition
Coordinating Center Uses Mathematical Optimization
to Estimate Food Nutrient Values."
- The Problem: The student estimate the amount of Isoflavone found in
a 100g of MorningStar Farms Garden Veggie Burger (also known as
Green Giant Harvest Burger, Original Flavor, All Vegetable
Protein Patties), frozen, using the given
data.
The student should use the model described in the assigned article.
- Tuesday, November 9, 1999 and Thursday, November 11, 1999
: Optional Consultation with Instructor: The student shall
set up a 10 minute meeting with the instructor to discuss his/her
solutions to the problem. Sign up on the sheet outside of 7213 Wean Hall.
The student should have the LP prepared
and solutions found by the
time of the consultation.
- Friday, November 19, 1999: Optional Rough draft of Analysis Section of report is due.
Comments will be made on the rough draft and returned to the student
on Wednesday, November 24, 1999. No late rough drafts will
be accepted.
- Monday, November 29, 1999: Final Project Report is due.
Note: Aside from the Optional Consultation with Instructor, any discussion
of individual projects with the instructor shall be done during the
instructor's office hours.
Final Project Report Requirements
The final project report is due at the beginning of lecture on Monday,
November 29, 1999.
The typed reports should consist of the following sections:
- Problem Statement:
This section of the paper should describe the problem at hand. The
student should include solution strategies that were used in the past
and reasons why a new strategy might be warranted. The student's choice
of recipe for nutrient analysis and the relevant data should be included
here.
- Solution Strategy:
The student should outline the solution strategy employed and
give some justification why this strategy might be more desirable than
the other strategies listed in the Problem Statement. If variables are
used, explanations of what the variables represent should be given. (This
information should be provided once variables are introduced, either in
this section or the next). The student should discuss reasons for
his/her choices for scaling the tolerances in
the objective function.
- Solution:
This section of the report should include the student's solution to the
LP described in the Solution Strategy section. If LINDO was used, the
computer output should be included here.
The solutions should be organized and
annotated
so that a reader will be able to relate to the solutions steps
described in the solution strategy.
- Analysis: This section of the report will
act as a conclusion. The student should not only state the final solution
to the problem, but the student should discuss the result. He/She should
include the following:
- If the solution does not seem accurate, the student should consider
what features of the solution strategy might account for the
discrepancies. The student should discuss what changes might
eliminate the discrepancies.
- How the water levels and preparation of the
product analyzed might have affected the estimations
- Advantages/Disadvantages to the solution strategy
- A list assumptions that were made in the formulation
and solution to the
problem and a discussion of
how reasonable the assumptions were, how one might
eliminate some of the assumptions, etc.
- Variations of the solution strategy
- Possible extensions of the problem.
Project Grading Criteria
Each student is responsible for turning in a final project report which
shall be solely the work of him/herself. No collaboration with anyone
other than the instructor or one of the TAs is allowed.
Any violation of this shall be dealt with according to university regulations.
The project grade will be calculated from the final project
report, worth 100 points, described below. For each day the project is
late, 10 points will be deducted from the project
score.
- (15 pts) Problem Statement: These points will be awarded
for a concise statement of the problem, organized presentation of
data and discussion of the points detailed in the Problem Statement
Requirements above.
- (25 pts) Solution Strategy:
- (15 of the 25 pts) will be awarded for correct LP's.
- (10 of the 25 pts) will be awarded for explanation of how the
weights in the objective function were found.
- (10 pts) Solution: These points will be based on clear
organization and annotation of the solution, as well as a correct
solution.
- (40 pts) Analysis: These points will be awarded for
a well-organized and thoughtful discussion of the
project, including (but not restricted to) the items listed in the
analysis section requirements above.
- (10 pts) Presentation: These points will be deducted for
spelling and grammatical errors in the report.
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