Is there a method for testing if one system of linear inequalities implies another one? For example, consider systems A and B:
A: x + y <= z
B: x <= z
y <= z
If all variables are constrained to be non-negative (typical in LP), then intuition suggests that system A implies system B. That is, any solution of A is also a solution of B. (The converse is not true.) In matrix form, we have:
A: 1x + 1y + (-1)z <= 0
B: 1x + 0y + (-1)z <= 0
0x + 1y + (-1)z <= 0
A: [ 1 1 -1 ] [ 0 ]
B: [ 1 0 -1 ] [ 0 ]
[ 0 1 -1 ] [ 0 ]
I have come up with one way to test if implication holds, but I find it
unsatisfactory. This approach is to understand it as ¬A ∨ B. Dealing
negation and disjunction generally requires a Big-M
conversion. For what I'm trying to do, Big-M conversion has two serious
drawbacks:
- Can be difficult or impossible to find an upper bound
- The introduction of binary variables moves us from LP to MIP
So my question is whether or not there is a better technique for testing whether or not A implies B.
EDIT:
Some more of my own thoughts on this. In the restricted setting where all of the same variables appear in A and B, a visual representation of this problem is testing if a convex polygon (or polyhedra, etc.) contains another one.
I have found a similar question Detection of Redundant Constraints, but I am not sure if the answer is connected to my question.