There Are 4 Jobs in a 4 Person Office That

question 44

Essay

There are 4 jobs in a 4 person office that must be done as quickly as possible. The supervisor has used the assignment method to assign people to jobs, and has completed the first step. She had to rush off to a meeting and has asked to assign the jobs to the people before she returns. The original matrix which shows the expected completion time for each person for each job, and the one she just completed are both shown below.
$$\begin{array} { | c | c | c | c | c | } \hline \text { Job } & \text { Ruth } & \text { Steve } & \text { Valerie } & \text { Wayne } \\\hline \text { A } & 8 & 26 & 17 & 11 \\\hline \text { B } & 13 & 28 & 4 & 26 \\\hline \text { C } & 38 & 19 & 18 & 15 \\\hline \text { D } & 19 & 26 & 24 & 10 \\\hline\end{array}$$
$$\begin{array} { | c | c | c | c | c | } \hline \text { Job } & \text { Ruth } & \text { Steve } & \text { Valerie } & \text { Wayne } \\\hline \text { A } & 0 & 18 & 9 & 3 \\\hline \text { B } & 9 & 24 & 0 & 22 \\\hline \text { C } & 23 & 4 & 3 & 0 \\\hline \text { D } & 9 & 16 & 14 & 0 \\\hline\end{array}$$
Which person should be assigned to which job? How long will the jobs take?

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Definitions:

Seawater

The saltwater that fills the oceans and seas, covering approximately 71% of Earth's surface.

Silica-rich Organisms

Refers to organisms that utilize silica (SiO2) in their structural makeup, often found in the cell walls or skeletons, such as diatoms and some sponges.

Chert Formation

The process by which chert, a hard, fine-grained sedimentary rock composed of microscopic silica particles, is formed, often in deep marine environments.

Seawater

A solution of various salts and minerals found in the world's oceans.