# Linear Programming and Healthy Diets -- Part 1

DevFeed: [Linear Programming and Healthy Diets -- Part 1](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/linear-programming-and-healthy-diets-part-1-40359.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://www.jeremykun.com/2014/06/02/linear-programming-and-the-most-affordable-healthy-diet-part-1/>)

Published: 2014-06-02T09:00:27Z

Content type: tutorial

Language: en

Sources: [Jeremy Kun](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/jeremy-kun.md>)

Topics: [Optimization](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/optimization.md>), [Combinatorial optimization](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/combinatorial-optimization.md>), [Mathematics](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/mathematics.md>), [Programming](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/programming.md>), [Computer science](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/computer-science.md>)

Tags: [combinatorial-optimization](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/combinatorial-optimization.md>), [duality](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/duality.md>), [linear-programming](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/linear-programming.md>), [mathematics](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/mathematics.md>), [nutrition](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/nutrition.md>), [operations-research](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/operations-research.md>), [optimization](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/optimization.md>), [primal](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/primal.md>), [programming](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/programming.md>), [real-world](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/real-world.md>)

## AI overview

This introductory tutorial explains linear programming as a central problem in combinatorial optimization. It models choosing quantities of oranges, milk, and broccoli to minimize food costs while meeting nutritional constraints, including recommended levels of water, calcium, and vitamin C.

## Source excerpt

Optimization is by far one of the richest ways to apply computer science and mathematics to the real world. Everybody is looking to optimize something: companies want to maximize profits, factories want to maximize efficiency, investors want to minimize risk, the list just goes on and on. The mathematical tools for optimization are also some of the richest mathematical techniques. They form the cornerstone of an entire industry known as operations research, and advances in this field literally change the world.