Harmony Search-based Hyper-heuristic for examination timetabling
08 Mar 2013-pp 176-181
TL;DR: This paper proposes a Harmony Search-based Hyper-heuristic (HSHH) method for examination timetabling problems and test the proposed method using ITC-2007 benchmark datasets that has 12 de facto datasets of different complexity and size.
Abstract: In this paper we proposed a Harmony Search-based Hyper-heuristic (HSHH) method for examination timetabling problems. The Harmony Search Algorithm (HSA) is a relatively new metaheuristic algorithm inspired by the musical improvisation process. The Hyper-heuristic is a new trend in optimization that uses a high level heuristic selected from a set of low-level heuristic methods. Examination timetabling is a combinatorial optimization problem which belongs to NP-hard class in almost all of its variations. In HSHH approach, the HSA will operate at a high level of abstraction which intelligently evolves a sequence of improvement low-level heuristics to use for examination timetabling problem. Each low-level heuristics represents a move and swap strategies. We test the proposed method using ITC-2007 benchmark datasets that has 12 de facto datasets of different complexity and size. The proposed method produced competitively comparable results.
Citations
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TL;DR: A backtracking search hyper-heuristic (BS-HH) algorithm is proposed to solve the distributed assembly permutation flow-shop scheduling problem and the computational results indicate the superiority of the proposed BS-HH scheme over the state-of-the-art algorithms.
Abstract: Distributed assembly permutation flow-shop scheduling problem (DAPFSP) is recognized as an important class of problems in modern supply chains and manufacturing systems. In this paper, a backtracking search hyper-heuristic (BS-HH) algorithm is proposed to solve the DAPFSP. In the BS-HH scheme, ten simple and effective heuristic rules are designed to construct a set of low-level heuristics (LLHs), and the backtracking search algorithm is employed as the high-level strategy to manipulate the LLHs to operate on the solution space. Additionally, an efficient solution encoding and decoding scheme is proposed to generate a feasible schedule. The effectiveness of the BS-HH is evaluated on two typical benchmark sets and the computational results indicate the superiority of the proposed BS-HH scheme over the state-of-the-art algorithms.
101 citations
Cites background from "Harmony Search-based Hyper-heuristi..."
...[34], and a bacterial foraging based hyper-heuristic by Rajni and Chana [35]....
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TL;DR: Comparisons between the proposed genetic programming hyper-heuristic algorithm and the state-of-the-art algorithms indicate the superiority of the proposed GP-HH in computing feasible solutions to the MS-RCPSP.
Abstract: Multi-skill resource-constrained project scheduling problem (MS-RCPSP) is one of the most investigated problems in operations research and management science. In this paper, a genetic programming hyper-heuristic (GP-HH) algorithm is proposed to address the MS-RCPSP. Firstly, a single task sequence vector is used to encode the solution, and a repair-based decoding scheme is proposed to generate feasible schedules. Secondly, ten simple heuristic rules are designed to construct a set of low-level heuristics. Thirdly, genetic programming is utilized as a high-level strategy which can manage the low-level heuristics on the heuristic domain flexibly. In addition, the design-of-experiment (DOE) method is employed to investigate the effect of parameters setting. Finally, the performance of the GP-HH is evaluated on the intelligent multi-objective project scheduling environment (iMOPSE) benchmark dataset consisting of 36 instances. Computational comparisons between GP-HH and the state-of-the-art algorithms indicate the superiority of the proposed GP-HH in computing feasible solutions to the problem.
82 citations
TL;DR: It is evident that hyper-heuristics are effective at solving educational timetabling problems and have the potential of advancing this field by providing a generalized solution toeducational timetabling as a whole.
Abstract: Educational timetabling problems, namely, university examination timetabling, university course timetabling and school timetabling, are combinatorial optimization problems requiring the allocation of resources so as to satisfy a specified set of constraints. Hyper-heuristics have been successfully applied to a variety of combinatorial optimization problems. This is a rapidly growing field which aims at providing generalized solutions to combinatorial optimization problems by exploring a heuristic space instead of a solution space. From the research conducted thus far it is evident that hyper-heuristics are effective at solving educational timetabling problems and have the potential of advancing this field by providing a generalized solution to educational timetabling as a whole. Given this, the paper provides an overview and critical analysis of hyper-heuristics for educational timetabling and proposes future research directions, focusing on using hyper-heuristics to provide a generalized solution to educational timetabling.
71 citations
Cites methods from "Harmony Search-based Hyper-heuristi..."
...Anwar et al. (2013) employ a harmony search hyper-heuristic to solve the ITC 2007 benchmark set of problems....
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...(2012) Anwar et al. (2013)...
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TL;DR: The results show that the new HS versions are very promising for ELD domain, and are able to excel the state-of-the-art methods in almost ELD problems used.
Abstract: In this paper, the update process of harmony search (HS) algorithm is modified to improve its concept of diversity. The update process in HS is based on a greedy mechanism in which the new harmony solution, created in each generation, replaces the worst individual in the population, if better. This greedy process could be improved with other updates mechanisms in order to control the diversity perfectly. Three versions of HS have been proposed: (1) Natural Proportional HS ; (2) Natural Tournament HS; (3) Natural Rank HS. These three HS versions employed the natural selection principle of the “survival of the fittest”. Instead of replacing the worst individual in population, any individual can be replaced based on certain criteria. Four versions of economic loading dispatch (ELD) problems with valve point have been used to measure the effect of the newly proposed HS versions. The results show that the new HS versions are very promising for ELD domain. This claim is proved based on the comparative evaluation process where the new HS versions are able to excel the state-of-the-art methods in almost ELD problems used.
69 citations
Cites background from "Harmony Search-based Hyper-heuristi..."
...Therefore, the problems that have been successfully tackled using the HS include blocking permutation flow shop scheduling problem [100], the optimal power flow problem [89], the multicast routing problem [42], office space allocation [15], water distribution networks [45], feature selection [54], timetabling and nurse rostering problems [5, 8, 9, 12, 13], protein structure prediction problem [1] and other related works on the applications of HSA are surveyed in [69, 72]....
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TL;DR: This paper proposes an effective backtracking search based hyper-heuristic (BS-HH) approach to address the Flexible job-shop scheduling problem (FJSP) and shows that the proposed hyper- heuristic outperforms the state-of-the-art algorithms in solving the FJSPF.
68 citations
References
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01 Feb 2001
TL;DR: A new heuristic algorithm, mimicking the improvisation of music players, has been developed and named Harmony Search (HS), which is illustrated with a traveling salesman problem (TSP), a specific academic optimization problem, and a least-cost pipe network design problem.
Abstract: Many optimization problems in various fields have been solved using diverse optimization al gorithms. Traditional optimization techniques such as linear programming (LP), non-linear programming (NL...
5,136 citations
TL;DR: It is demonstrated that this tabu-search hyperheuristic is an easily re-usable method which can produce solutions of at least acceptable quality across a variety of problems and instances and is fundamentally more general than state-of-the-art problem-specific techniques.
Abstract: Hyperheuristics can be defined to be heuristics which choose between heuristics in order to solve a given optimisation problem. The main motivation behind the development of such approaches is the goal of developing automated scheduling methods which are not restricted to one problem. In this paper we report the investigation of a hyperheuristic approach and evaluate it on various instances of two distinct timetabling and rostering problems. In the framework of our hyperheuristic approach, heuristics compete using rules based on the principles of reinforcement learning. A tabu list of heuristics is also maintained which prevents certain heuristics from being chosen at certain times during the search. We demonstrate that this tabu-search hyperheuristic is an easily re-usable method which can produce solutions of at least acceptable quality across a variety of problems and instances. In effect the proposed method is capable of producing solutions that are competitive with those obtained using state-of-the-art problem-specific techniques for the problems studied here, but is fundamentally more general than those techniques.
551 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a generic hyper-heuristic approach based on a set of widely used graph coloring heuristics is proposed for timetabling problems, where a Tabu Search approach is employed to search for permutations of graph heuristic which are used for constructing timetables.
516 citations
TL;DR: A critical discussion of the research on exam timetabling which has taken place in the last decade or so is presented and a range of relevant important research issues and challenges that have been generated by this body of work are outlined.
Abstract: Examination timetabling is one of the most important administrative activities that takes place in all academic institutions. In this paper, we present a critical discussion of the research on exam timetabling which has taken place in the last decade or so. This last ten years has seen a significantly increased level of research attention for this important area. There has been a range of insightful contributions to the scientific literature both in terms of theoretical issues and practical aspects. The main aim of this survey is to highlight the new trends and key research achievements that have been carried out in the last decade. We also aim to outline a range of relevant important research issues and challenges that have been generated by this body of work.
We first define the problem and discuss previous survey papers. Within our presentation of the state-of-the-art methodologies, we highlight recent research trends including hybridisations of search methodologies and the development of techniques which are motivated by raising the level of generality at which search methodologies can operate. Summarising tables are presented to provide an overall view of these techniques. We also present and discuss some important issues which have come to light concerning the public benchmark exam timetabling data. Different versions of problem datasets with the same name have been circulating in the scientific community for the last ten years and this has generated a significant amount of confusion. We clarify the situation and present a re-naming of the widely studied datasets to avoid future confusion. We also highlight which research papers have dealt with which dataset. Finally, we draw upon our discussion of the literature to present a (non-exhaustive) range of potential future research directions and open issues in exam timetabling research.
370 citations
TL;DR: An overview of metaheuristics in university timetabling applications is carried out, paying particular attention to the various methods that have been proposed for dealing and differentiating between constraints of varying importance.
Abstract: As well as nearly always belonging to the class of NP-complete problems, university timetabling problems can be further complicated by the often idiosyncratic requirements imposed by the particular institution being considered. It is perhaps due to this characteristic that in the past decade-or-so, metaheuristics have become increasingly popular in the field of automated timetabling. In this paper we carry out an overview of such applications, paying particular attention to the various methods that have been proposed for dealing and differentiating between constraints of varying importance. Our review allows us to classify these algorithms into three general classes, and we make some instructive comments on each of these.
301 citations