How I Optimized My Leaf Raking Strategy Using Linear Programming

A common yard chore of raking leaves is framed as a complex optimization problem solvable with linear programming. The problem is broken down into an objective function to minimize total time, decision variables for pile locations and leaf assignments, and constraints such as bag capacity. A grid-based representation of the yard is used, with parameters for leaf density, raking speed, and bagging time. The model is formulated as an integer linear program (ILP) using binary and integer variables to represent decisions and constraints mathematically.