A closed route in the stepping-stone method that sums to zero means that an equivalent cost solution exists.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A closed route in the stepping-stone method that sums to zero indicates that the allocations are balanced, and hence, the current solution is optimal. This also means that there is no scope for improving the current solution by making further adjustments using the stepping-stone method. However, it does not necessarily mean that there exists an alternative solution with equivalent cost, but it indicates that the current solution is the best possible using the given set of constraints and cost coefficients.

A Closed Route in the Stepping-Stone Method That Sums to Zero