Branch-and-bound reacts to a fractional LP optimum by splitting the problem. The split is exact: one child takes the floor side and the other takes the ceiling side. This lesson shows the first branch of the IP-B search.

highlighted = computed this step

Fractional coordinate

At the root, the LP relaxation gives (3, 1/2) with bound 10. Why: the fractional y value prevents this point from being an integer solution.

zLP=10z_{LP}=10
First branchThe first branch splits the fractional y value into two exact child subproblems.First branchy<=0y>=1rootLP (3, 1/2)z=10branchedy<=0LP (3, 0)z=9incumbent optimaly>=1LP (5/2, 1)z=19/2branched

Split without losing integers

The branch is y at most 0 or y at least 1. Why: every integer y value is on exactly one side of that split.

y0ory1y\le 0\quad\text{or}\quad y\ge 1
First branchThe first branch splits the fractional y value into two exact child subproblems.First branchy<=0y>=1rootLP (3, 1/2)z=10branchedy<=0LP (3, 0)z=9incumbent optimaly>=1LP (5/2, 1)z=19/2branched

Diagram note

The tree prefix is recomputed from the full branch-and-bound search, then clipped to the first branch. Pixel positions are rounded for layout; every number shown is exact.

branch on the lowest-index fractional variable\text{branch on the lowest-index fractional variable}
First branchThe first branch splits the fractional y value into two exact child subproblems.First branchy<=0y>=1rootLP (3, 1/2)z=10branchedy<=0LP (3, 0)z=9incumbent optimaly>=1LP (5/2, 1)z=19/2branched