A line in a network that may represent a path or route. An arc or branch is used to connect the nodes in a network.

An assignment problem in which the number of rows is equal to the number of columns.

The condition under which total demand (at all destinations) is equal to total supply (at all sources).

A condition that occurs when the number of occupied squares in any solution is less than the number of rows plus the number of columns minus 1 in a transportation table.

A demand location in a transportation problem.

An artificial destination added to a transportation table when total supply is greater than total demand. The demand at the dummy destination is set so that total supply and demand are equal. The transportation cost for dummy destination cells is zero.

Extra rows or columns added in order to “balance” an assignment problem so that the number of rows equals the number of columns.

An artificial source added to a transportation table when total demand is greater than total supply. The supply at the dummy source is set so that total demand and supply are equal. The transportation cost for dummy source cells is zero.

Another name for the Hungarian method.

A matrix reduction approach to solving the assignment problem.

The net cost of shipping one unit on a route not used in the current transportation problem solution.

The approach of the assignment method that reduces the original table of assignment costs to a table of opportunity costs.

A network problem with the objective of determining the maximum amount that may flow from the origin or source to the final destination or sink.

A point in a network, often represented by a circle, that is at the beginning or end of an arc.

A systematic procedure for establishing an initial feasible solution to the transportation problem.

In an assignment problem, this is the additional cost incurred when the assignment with the lowest possible cost in a row or column is not selected.

A network problem with the objective of finding the shortest distance from one location to another.

The final node or destination in a network.

An origin or supply location in a transportation problem. Also, the origin or beginning node in a network.

An iterative technique for moving from an initial feasible solution to an optimal solution in transportation problems.

A specific case of LP concerned with scheduling shipments from sources to destinations so that total transportation cost is minimized.

A table summarizing all transportation data to help keep track of all algorithm computations. It stores information on demands, supplies, shipping costs, units shipped, origins, and destinations.