A Note on Linear Programming Algorithm Design: A Combinatorial Problem As linear programming models grow bigger and bigger in size, much actual data that must be memorized is often put on magnetic tape or disk, and consequently there is an improportionality fast rise in the consumption of computer timeo cut down this expense, an ever increasing effort is made to design more efficient algorithms. This paper is meant to support the effort. It is attempted to find some characteristics of the way a pivot column is found. The number of repetitions of a certain transfer of data from tape to core memory is considered. After some simplification, the problem is restated in a general way. The generating function of the probability distribution and the moment generating function of the number of repetitions is found. Asymptotic formulas are given for the moments using a result from a paper of S. Narumi [1]. The results may be applied to write very efficient routines that search for an extreme value in a table. Formulas provide a means of calculating the computer timings in this case. CACM May, 1966 Roes, P. B. M. CA660504 JB March 3, 1978 10:10 AM 1433 5 1433 1433 5 1433 1433 5 1433