Final answer:
The goal of an optimization equation in linear programming is to maximize or minimize the objective function within a set of constraints.
Step-by-step explanation:
The objective of an optimization equation in linear programming is A. Maximize or minimize the given objective function. The purpose of this function is to either find the maximum value or the minimum value that the objective function can achieve, given a set of constraints. These constraints are a series of equations or inequalities that limit the values that the variables in the objective function can take.
For example, in a linear programming problem, the objective function might represent either a cost to be minimized or a profit to be maximized. The process involves graphically finding the feasible region determined by the constraints, and then identifying the point at which the objective function has its optimum value on this region. This point, which corresponds to the optimal solution, could be at any of the vertices of the feasible region.