The Karmarkar Algorithm: New Issues in the Computational Complexity of Linear Programming

There is a great deal of excitement in the mathematical air concerning a new algorithm for linear programming. Big city newspapers and national glossy magazines have announced the development by N. Karmarkar of Bell Labs of an algorithm much faster than the traditional simplex algorithm. What are linear programs and who cares about them7 What does much faster mean? Can this new algorithm be described7 What makes it better7