ABSTRACT
Optimisation models consist of a set of methods for the evaluation of a system in terms of what 'ought to have been' rather than what is. These techniques, which include as simplest examples methods of linear programming, game theory and many other techniques under the cover name of operation research, are used to find the optimum relationship between a number of independent variables. Linear programming is both a decision-making aid as well as an analytical mechanism. The simplex method is an iterative method for the solution of linear programming problems. The chapter discusses the development of the linear programming framework by looking at the dual problem and looks at modelling residential location and the total urban form through the technique of linear programming. One of the classics in the realm of intra-city linear programming formulation is the Herbert-Stevens' model for the distribution of residential activities in urban areas.
