title: How can I decide when to use linear programming?
body: <p>When I look at optimization problems I see a lot of options.  One is linear programming.  I understand in abstract terms how LP works, but I find it difficult to see whether a particular problem is suitable for LP or not.  Are there any heuristics that can help guide this decision?</p>
  
  <p>For example, the work described in <a href="https://stackoverflow.com/questions/7076349/is-there-a-good-way-to-do-this-type-of-mining/7237972#7237972">Is there a good way to do this type of mining?</a> took weeks before I saw how to structure the problem correctly.  Is it possible to know "in advance" that problem could be solved by LP, without first seeing "how to phrase it"?</p>
  
  <p>Is there a checklist I can use to decide whether a problem is suitable for LP?  Is there a standard (readable) reference for this topic?</p>