MATHEMATICAL MODEL OF THE TRANSPORTATION PROBLEM AND FINDING THE OPTIMAL SOLUTION

Abstract

This article is dedicated to the "Transportation Problem", one of the key areas of operations research and optimal control. It explores the theoretical foundations, mathematical models, and practical applications of this problem. The transportation problem is considered an optimal resource allocation problem and is widely applied in fields such as economics, logistics, and supply chain management. The article provides a detailed explanation of the main solution methods for the transportation problem, including the “Northwest Corner Method”, “Minimum Cost Method”, and “Potential Method”. The principles for determining the optimal solution using these methods are analyzed. Additionally, practical examples of the transportation problem’s application in real-world economics and logistics are presented, illustrating the efficiency and applicability of these methods. The research findings demonstrate that understanding and solving the transportation problem can help optimize logistics systems, minimize transportation costs, and improve resource utilization efficiency. This article serves as an important theoretical and practical guide for researchers, economists, and logistics specialists working with transportation problems.