Solver query: Minimum rectangle perimeter

**svik** · 11-16-2009, 10:24 PM

I am using Solver to find the sides of a rectangle such that the area = 1300 and the perimeter is the minimum possible value.
I have attached an image of the spreadhseet and the way I am setting Solver to solve this but I keep getting a "Solver could not find a feasible solution" message.
Any help will be much appreciated.

**shg** · 11-16-2009, 10:33 PM

You don't show all of the formulas.

This is a just solver exercise, right? Because the length of each side is just =sqrt(1300)

**svik** · 11-16-2009, 10:48 PM

The formula in D2 is =B2*C2 ie the area of the rectangle.
I would like to know how I could use Solver to get to the correct answer.

**shg** · 11-17-2009, 01:02 AM

Post the workbook.

**svik** · 11-17-2009, 03:11 PM

I added labels on top of the cells to make it more helpful.

**shg** · 11-17-2009, 03:27 PM

The model is fine. Set B2 and C2 to some initial value, like 1.

**svik** · 11-17-2009, 03:50 PM

It worked, thanks shg.
The putting a value in the changing cells - Is this something that just should be done?

**shg** · 11-17-2009, 04:28 PM

Apparently it helps sometimes. Perhaps in this case because the partial derivative of area WRT both length and width is zero when both length and width are zero.