Solver Limits for Constraints and Adjustable Cells

[Johan Zietsman]

What is Solver's limits for constraints and adjustable cells?

According to Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 75714 it is:
200 adjustable cells, and
unlimited constraints for linear problems and 500 for non-linear
problems
for Excel 97, 98 and 2000.

According to Frontline Systems, the developers of the Excel Solver, the
limits are
200 adjustable cells, and
200 constraints for linear problems and 100 for non-linear problems.
They do not refer to a specific version of Excel.

There is a significant difference (in terms of the number of constraints)
between the above two pieces of information. Can someone please clarify this
matter for me? I will really appreciate it.

Thanks

Johan Zietsman

 

[Tushar Mehta]

[Follow ups trimmed to microsoft.public.excel.misc]

Maybe, someone who already has had experience with those limits may
respond to your message, but if not, consider this...it would take
someone else just as long to test the scenario as it would you.

Also, note that it is *possible* -- and, you would have to check on it
-- that if you specify a vector constraint (B10:B100 <= C10:C100), it
might count as just one constraint. I often set up my problems so that
the same constraint applied to, say, multiple years, is specified as
just one constraint.

--
Regards,

Tushar Mehta
MS MVP Excel 2000-2004
www.tushar-mehta.com
Excel, PowerPoint, and VBA tutorials and add-ins
Custom Productivity Solutions leveraging MS Office

 

[Ken Wright]

Just to throw another set of numbers in - found buried in the help for Excel
2003:-

When the Assume Linear Model check box on the Solver Options dialog box is
selected, there is no limit on the number of constraints. For nonlinear
problems, each adjustable cell can have up to 100 constraints, in addition to
bounds and integer restrictions on the variables.