solver problem

Hi im having a problem with this solver exercise,
I would greatly appreciate help with this

The answer is easy, but the problem is setting it up to find it.


Peter has found three employers that would offer him a side-job
during the vacation. There are three employers: 1, 2, and 3; and three
shifts: (A) morning, (B) noon, and (C) evening. He wants to work one
shift for each employer;

- Employer 1 offer 9;5;0 for the shifts A, B, C
- Employer 2 offer 5;0;1 for the shifts A, B, C
- Employer 3 offers 1;1;1 for the shifts A, B, C

Use Excel Solver to find for him the best assignment of shifts.
Hint: Use variables like x1A to model whether he works shift A for em-
ployer 1. The constraints are then like:
x1A + x2A + x3A <= 1 (peter can work only one shift a time)
x1A + x1B + x1C <=1 (peter can work only one shift a employer)

Thankyou,
Haka

I would not use solver for this!
This is a terrible example case to use for solver.
I am not supprised that you cant get solver to give you a sensible answer.
Someone out there may know different, but I would suspect that you can't solve this problem via solver!
Mark.

Yeah it is terrible

ive spent hours trying to figure this out

But im afraid I have to do it using excel, some classmates have been able to do it.
I just cant figure it out

Haka

The key to getting this to work seemed to be setting the solver option:
Assume Non-Negative

This stopped it trying to find solutions where our hero is working negative shifts!

Mark.