Linear programming: reduce a constraint that includes a minimum

linear programmingoptimization

I have an almost linear programme. However one of the constraints has a form $z = min(x,y)$ (all the other things are linear in the model). Is there a way to substitute this with something (or introduce additional variables) to turn this into a linear programme?

In other words, I have the problem that looks like the following:
$$
\mathbf c' \mathbf x \to \min,
$$

s.t.
$$
A \mathbf x = \mathbf b,\quad x_1 = \min(x_2, x_3).
$$

Update: I thought about substituting the constraint with a pair of constraints $x_1 \le x_2$, $x_1 \le x_3$ but it doesn't work if the coefficient of $x_1$ is positive in $\mathbf c$. And this is the case in my problem (actually all the entries of $\mathbf c$ a positive/nonnegative).

Best Answer

You can model this with a single binary variable and additional constraints, or you can just solve two linear programs, one with $x_1=x_2\le x_3$ and one with $x_1=x_3\le x_2$, and take whichever solution yields the better objective value.