What was the primary optimization target of George J. Stigler's 1975 Diet formulation?

Answer

Finding the cheapest combination of foods

The core objective formulated by economist George J. Stigler in 1975 was fundamentally economic. The problem was defined as a mathematical solution using linear programming, aimed specifically at identifying the absolute cheapest selection of foodstuffs that successfully met all predefined minimum daily nutritional requirements for an individual. This focus represented a pure pursuit of cost-efficiency, deliberately omitting any consideration for subjective user preference, convenience, or taste profile, distinguishing it sharply from modern recommendation algorithms.

What was the primary optimization target of George J. Stigler's 1975 Diet formulation?
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