Summary

We have demonstrated a number of intriguing methods for combining the modeling features of LINGO with the data management features of spreadsheets. The concise, structured nature of LINGO’s modeling language makes reading and understanding even large models relatively easy. Whereas, it can often be a challenge to discern the underlying mathematical relationships of large, spreadsheet models with formulas spread throughout numerous cells on multiple tabbed sheets. LINGO models are also easier to scale than spreadsheet models. As the dimensions of your problem change, spreadsheet models can require the insertion or deletion of rows or columns and the editing of cell formulas. Whereas, if your data is separate from the model, your LINGO formulation will generally require little or no modification. Combining the power of model expression with LINGO and the ease of data handling in spreadsheets gives the mathematical modeler the best of both worlds.