We show that any rational polytope is polynomial-time representable as a slim r× c × 3 three-way line-sum transportation polytope. This universality theorem has important consequences for linear and integer programming and for confidential statistical data disclosure. It provides polynomial-time embedding of arbitrary linear programs and integer programs in such slim transportation programs and in bipartite biflow programs. It resolves several standing problems on 3-way transportation polytopes. It demonstrates that the range of values an entry can attain in any slim 3-way contingency table with specified 2-margins can contain arbitrary gaps, suggesting that disclosure of k-margins of d-tables for 2≤k展开▼
