# Why we call it technological coefficients?

I'm learning linear programming's basic concepts. In following inequality:

\begin{align} \text{Minimize }c_1x_1 + c_2x_2 + \cdots+ c_nx_n \\ \\ \text{Subject to }a_{11}x_1 + a_{12}x_2 +\cdots+a_{1n}x_n & \geqslant b_1 \\ \\ a_{21}x_1 + a_{22}x_2 +\cdots+a_{2n}x_n & \geqslant b_2 \\ & {}\ \vdots\\ a_{m1}x_1 + a_{m2}x_2 +\cdots+a_{mn}x_n & \geqslant b_m \\ \\ x_1,x_2,\ldots,x_n & \geqslant 0 \end{align}

My question is : Why we call $a_{ij}$ "technological coefficients" ? What is technology ? And why is it technological ? I don't know the meaning of "technological" in here.

Update: Book: Linear Programming and Network Flows. Written by: Mokhtar S. Bazaraa. 3rd Edition. Page 2

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It would be immensely helpful if you mention the book/paper/whatever you got this term from... – J. M. Oct 15 '11 at 5:38
@J.M. Linear Programming and Network Flows. Written by: Mokhtar S. Bazara. 3rd Edition. Page 2 – linker Oct 15 '11 at 5:41
Your TeX formatting technique was abominable. I've cleaned it up. – Michael Hardy Oct 15 '11 at 15:47
@MichaelHardy : thanks – linker Oct 15 '11 at 17:22
@linker: I think it's just that the constraints in a particular scenario being modeled with an LP often represent some technological restriction on what's possible in that scenario. Thus it makes sense, I guess, to call the coefficients of the constraints "technological coefficients." I really don't think there's any deeper reason than that. – Mike Spivey Oct 16 '11 at 17:54

They also called input-output coefficients, and they represents the amount of resource $i$ consumed per unit of variable $x_j$.