Fractional Programming Applications

Abstract

The applications of linear programming to various branches of human activity, and especially to economics, are well known. The applications of fractional programming are less known, and, until now, less numerous. Of course, the linearity of a problem makes it easier to tackle, and hence contributes to its wide recognition. However, not all real-life economic problems can be described by linear models, and hence are not likely applications of linear programming. Fractional programming is a nonlinear programming method that has known increasing exposure recently. Its importance in solving concrete problems is steadily increasing, and its nonlinear optimization models have been found to describe practical problems much better than the linear optimization models.