Open the file LP Transportation Problem.zip. This file contains more directions and the model. In this case, you have four coal mines and 15 power stations you are servicing. We are interested in minimizing the average distance traveled.

a. Run the model and show which coal mine should serve which power station. What is the average distance of this solution?

b. Now, increase each plant’s capacity by 10% and rerun. How did the solution change? Did the average distance decrease? Why?

c. Now, go back to the original model and force each power station to receive product from just one coal mine. Why is the model infeasible?

d. Now, remove the capacity constraint on the coal mines and rerun. What is the new solution? What happened to the average distance? How much is being supplied by each coal mine? How is this different from the original supply constraints?