Class 12 Maths NCERT Solutions Chapter 12 Linear Programming | Boundless Maths
NCERT Solutions Class 12 Maths Chapter 12 · Unit V · Linear Programming

Class 12 Maths NCERT Solutions Chapter 12: Linear Programming

Free, step-by-step Class 12 Maths NCERT Solutions Chapter 12 for the one exercise that makes up this entire chapter — 10 Linear Programming Problems, every one of them solved graphically using the Corner Point Method, with the feasible region, corner points and objective-function table worked out in full for each question.

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2026-27CBSE Syllabus
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Class 12 Maths NCERT Solutions Chapter 12 — Overview

Linear Programming is where all the graphing of linear inequalities from Class 11 finally earns its keep. A Linear Programming Problem (LPP) asks you to maximise or minimise a linear objective function — profit, cost, distance, whatever the real-world question is about — subject to a set of linear constraints that box in the possible values of the decision variables. Unlike most Class 12 Maths chapters, this one is refreshingly short: there's exactly one exercise, and everything you need is the graphical Corner Point Method.

The chapter walks through the same short story every time: translate the word problem (or the given inequalities) into a mathematical formulation, sketch the feasible region those constraints carve out, mark its corner points, and evaluate the objective function at each one. What makes Exercise 12.1 worth taking slowly is the handful of edge cases it deliberately builds in — unbounded feasible regions, problems with no feasible region at all, and situations where more than one corner point gives the same optimal value. Recognising which case you're in in a live board exam is genuinely most of the skill here.

How the Chapter Builds

One Idea Leads to the Next

1

Mathematical Formulation

Write the objective function Z = ax + by, and translate every restriction into a linear inequality — plus the non-negativity constraints x ≥ 0, y ≥ 0.

2

Feasible Region

Graph every constraint. The region common to all of them — the set of points satisfying every inequality at once — is the feasible region.

3

Corner Point Method

Find the vertices of the feasible region and evaluate Z at each one. For a bounded region, the largest and smallest values are the true max and min.

4

Special Cases

Check for an unbounded region, multiple optimal solutions along an edge, or no feasible region at all — these are exactly what Exercise 12.1 tests.

Quick Reference

Important Formulas — Chapter 12

Everything you need before you start solving. This is a summary for quick recall — the Formula Cards below have the full printable version for the whole syllabus.

Mathematical Formulation (§12.2)

Objective function

Z = ax+by

The linear function to be maximised or minimised; a, b are constants, x and y are the decision variables.

Constraints

a_1x+b_1y \le (\text{or} \ge)\, c_1,\ \ldots

Linear inequalities (or equations) restricting the decision variables, including the non-negative restrictions x ≥ 0, y ≥ 0.

Optimisation problem

Maximise/minimise Z subject to a set of linear constraints

An LPP is a special, particularly important type of optimisation problem.

Feasible Region & Corner Points (§12.2.2)

Feasible region

Common region satisfying every constraint, including x ≥ 0, y ≥ 0

Every point in it is a feasible solution; every point outside it is infeasible.

Corner point (vertex)

Point where two boundary lines of the feasible region intersect

Found either by inspection or by solving the two boundary equations simultaneously.

Bounded vs. unbounded

Bounded = can be enclosed in a circle; otherwise unbounded

This distinction decides which version of the Corner Point Method rule you apply next.

Corner Point Method — Working Rule

If the feasible region is bounded

M = largest, m = smallest value of Z over all corner points

M is the maximum and m is the minimum of Z — guaranteed to exist (Theorem 2).

If the feasible region is unbounded

ax+by>M has no point in common with the feasible region ⇒ M is the maximum

Same idea in reverse for a minimum, using ax+by\lt m. If the half-plane does share a point, Z has no max (or min) at all.

Special Cases

Multiple optimal solutions

Two corner points give the same Z

Then every point on the line segment joining them gives that same optimal value too.

No feasible region

Constraints contradict each other

No point satisfies every constraint simultaneously, so the LPP has no feasible solution at all.

Decision Guide

Which Situation Am I In?

Once you've graphed the feasible region and listed its corner points, use this to decide what happens next.

What you observeWhat it meansWhy
The feasible region can be enclosed inside a circleBounded region — just compare Z at every corner pointTheorem 2 guarantees a maximum and a minimum both exist here, each at a corner point.
The feasible region extends indefinitely in some directionUnbounded region — verify with the open half-plane test before declaring an optimumTheorem 2 no longer applies; a maximum or minimum may simply not exist.
Two or more corner points give the identical Z valueMultiple optimal solutions — state the entire edge, not just one pointThe objective function is running exactly parallel to that boundary edge.
The constraints contradict each other (e.g. y ≥ x + 1 and y ≤ x together)No feasible region — the problem has no solutionNo point can satisfy every constraint at once, so there's nothing to optimise.
Avoid These

Common Mistakes to Avoid in This Chapter

Drawn from where students actually lose marks on graphical LPP questions.

  • Forgetting the non-negativity constraints x ≥ 0, y ≥ 0 when sketching — this silently drags in three extra quadrants of "feasible-looking" region that don't actually belong.
  • Assuming a bounded region without checking. The largest/smallest corner-point value is only the true max/min if the feasible region can be enclosed in a circle — on an unbounded region, you must test the open half-plane condition first.
  • Declaring a maximum or minimum that doesn't exist — skipping the half-plane check entirely on an unbounded region and just picking the extreme corner-point value.
  • Stopping at one point when there are multiple optimal solutions — if two corner points give the same Z, the full answer is the entire line segment joining them, not just one of the two points.
  • Sign errors when rearranging inequalities before graphing — flipping ≤ to ≥ (or vice versa) without also flipping which side gets shaded.
  • Shading the wrong half-plane for a constraint, which silently produces a completely different feasible region from the one intended.
  • Treating every line intersection as a genuine corner point without checking it actually satisfies all the other constraints too.
  • Losing the real-world context in the final answer — writing "x = 10, y = 50" instead of stating what that means (e.g. "10 tables and 50 chairs") when the question is a word problem.
Solve Chapter-Wise

Class 12 Maths NCERT Solutions Chapter 12 — Choose an Exercise

12.1

Exercise 12.1

Every Linear Programming Problem in the chapter, solved graphically with the Corner Point Method — including unbounded regions, multiple optimal solutions and infeasible cases · 10 questions

Solve Exercise 12.1 →

📐 Keep the Formulas Handy

Every formula for Linear Programming — plus every other chapter — in one printable set of Formula Cards.

Get Formula Cards →

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Common Questions

FAQs — Class 12 Maths NCERT Solutions Chapter 12

Quick answers about Chapter 12, Linear Programming.

How many exercises are there in Chapter 12, Linear Programming?

Just one — Exercise 12.1, with 10 questions. Unlike most chapters, there is no Exercise 12.2 and no Miscellaneous Exercise for Linear Programming in the NCERT textbook.

Is Linear Programming important for the CBSE board exam?

Yes. A graphical LPP question — usually worth 5 marks — appears in almost every CBSE Class 12 Maths board paper and Section E case studies, and the topic is scoring once the Corner Point Method is second nature.

What is the Corner Point Method?

It's the standard technique for solving a Linear Programming Problem graphically: plot the constraints to find the feasible region, identify its corner points (vertices), evaluate the objective function Z at each one, and the largest/smallest value among them gives the maximum/minimum — provided the region is bounded.

What happens if the feasible region is unbounded?

The largest or smallest value found at the corner points is only a candidate, not a guaranteed answer. You must additionally check whether the open half-plane beyond that value shares any point with the feasible region — if it does, no maximum (or minimum) exists at all.

Where can I find the official NCERT textbook for this chapter?

Chapter 12, Linear Programming, is from the NCERT Class 12 Mathematics textbook (Part I), published by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) and prescribed by CBSE. You can download the official textbook PDF directly from ncert.nic.in, NCERT's official website — the solutions on this site follow the questions exactly as they appear there.
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