Minimal representation of convex polyhedral sets

Abstract

A system of linear inequality and equality constraints determines a convex polyhedral set of feasible solutionsS. We consider the relation of all individual constraints toS, paying special attention to redundancy and implicit equalities. The main theorem derived here states that the total number of constraints together determiningS is minimal if and only if the system contains no redundant constraints and/or implicit equalities. It is shown that the existing theory on the representation of convex polyhedral sets is a special case of the theory developed here.