Question

Question 1. The math department needs a printer in the computer room of the second floor of MSB, and the department is planning the purchase and maintenance schedule of the printer for the next six years. The cost of a new printer is $80, and it can be used for at most five years. The maintenance cost each year of operation is as follows: year 1, $30; year 2, $40; year 3, $60, year 4, $90; year 5, $100. The department just purchased a new printer, and assume a printer has no salvage value. Formulate a shortest path problem to minimize the total cost of purchasing and operating a printer for the next six years. (Note: you need to draw a network, clearly explain the meaning of the nodes, arcs and clearly give the cost on each arc. You don’t need to solve it).

Answer 1