Math 407

USING EXCEL

• Excel for Windows

  A tutorial for installing the Solver add-in for Windows Excel can be found here.

• Excel for Mac

  Information on Excel Solver for the Mac can be found here.

  If you have Mac Excel 2011, then Solver comes bundled with Excel, and you can add it in using the guide given on the website listed above. Unfortunately, there is a bug in the code which requires an alternative approach to adding in Solver. The alternative approach cannot be found anywhere on the web or in any official documentation. Here is the "trick" if you need it.

  • Click Tool-Addins. Uncheck the Solver.xlam check box. Hit Select button and navigate to /Applications/Office 11/Office/Addins/Solver/Solver.xlam. Select that file and hit ok/open. It should say this addin is already there, do you want to replace it. Say yes. Now on the Excel tab list, select Data and under Analysis select the Solver button.

• Examples

  • The Furniture Problem Model (new) (Solved)
  • The Alloy Blending Model 4 (Solved)
  • The Summer Job Model 8 (Practise)
  • The Pig Farming Model 2 (Practise)
  • The Cargo Packing Model 11 (Excel file only)

    In the Cargo Packing Model 11 the workload balance constraint has not yet been added. The task is to use Excel tricks to efficiently add it to the model.

It is possible to check your answers using MatLab or R.