ABSTRACT
Consider a small company that is planning to install a central computer with cable links to five new departments. According to their floor plan, the peripheral computers for the five departments will be situated as shown by the dark circles in Figure 6.1. The company wishes to locate the central computer so that the minimal amount of cable will be used to link the five peripheral computers. Assuming that cable may be strung over the ceiling panels in a straight line from a point above any peripheral to a point above the central computer, the distance formula may be used to determine the length of cable needed to connect any peripheral to the central computer. Ignore all lengths of cable from the computer itself to a point above the ceiling panel immediately over that computer. That is, work only with lengths of cable strung over the ceiling panels (see Fox et al., 2004).
