Slack variables are defined to transform an inequality expression into an equality expression with an added slack variable. The slack variable is defined by setting a lower bound of zero (>0).
|
Inequality Constraint Form |
x > b |
|
Equality Constraint Form with Slack Variable |
x = b + slack |
Example Problem
Inequality Constraints in APM
In APMonitor Modeling Language, inequality constraints are automatically translated into equality constraints with slack variables. Slack variables can also be defined by starting a variable name with slk. When the model is parsed at run-time, any variable beginning with slk is automatically assigned a lower value of zero. Alternatively, inequality constraints will be automatically converted to equality constraints with a slack variable.