# How to write if else statement in Linear programming?

How to write the following if-else condition in Linear Programming? If $$a > b$$ then $$c = d$$ else $$c = e$$

$$d$$, $$e$$ are variables. How can we write a linear program without multiplying d and e with binary variables? But we can use binary variables.

$$a,b,c,d,e > 0$$

• In general this can not be done in a pure continuous LP. You need binary variables to overcome the non-convexity in this construct. Some very special cases may not need binary variables. Nov 2, 2017 at 0:13
• We can use binary variables but I don't want to multiply those binary variables with d or e because they too are variables in my problem. If we multiply binary variables with d or e the problem will lose linearity. Nov 2, 2017 at 0:40

This can not be formulated as a linear programming problem. We need extra binary variables and end up with a MIP.

First we do:

$$a > b \Longleftrightarrow \delta = 1$$

This can be formulated as: \begin{align} &a \ge b + 0.001 - M(1-\delta)\\ &a \le b + M\delta\\ &\delta \in \{0,1\} \end{align} (in practice I would drop the $0.001$ term).

Next we do: \begin{align} &\delta=1 \Longrightarrow c=d\\ &\delta=0 \Longrightarrow c=e \end{align} This can be written as: \begin{align} & d-M(1-\delta)\le c \le d + M(1-\delta)\\ & e-M\delta\le c \le e + M\delta\\ \end{align}

Many modern MIP solvers have indicator constraints. This can make things easier as one can write implications directly without big-M constraints.

• @Erwin....how can we formulate, If a = b then c = d else c = e ? Mar 24, 2020 at 18:19
• In a similar way. Use something like $\delta = 0 \implies a=b, c=d$ and $\delta = 0 \implies a \ne b, c=e$. Mar 27, 2020 at 23:54
• I was expecting something more like this Mar 28, 2020 at 3:17
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