Iterated heuristic algorithms for the classroom assignment problem

Constantino, Ademir Aparecido; Filho, Walter Marcondes; Landa-Silva, Dario

Abstract

We tackle the classroom assignment problem in a large University with the objective of minimising the total distance between all classrooms assigned to teaching activities in the same course. Additional requirements that should be satisfied include: making an efficient utilisation of the space, satisfying room preferences and complying with other administrative requirements. We present two iterated heuristic approaches, each one consisting of an iterative resolution of an assignment problem (the classical assignment problem in the first approach and the bottleneck assignment problem in the second approach) and a third algorithm based on the Variable Neighbourhood Search (VNS) meta-heuristic. We also present and discuss experimental results using real-world data from three consecutive academic sessions.

Citation

Constantino, A. A., Filho, W. M., & Landa-Silva, D. Iterated heuristic algorithms for the classroom assignment problem. Presented at 2010 International Conference on the Practice and Theory of Automated Timetabling (PATAT 2010)

• Conference Name: 2010 International Conference on the Practice and Theory of Automated Timetabling (PATAT 2010)
• End Date: Aug 13, 2010
• Acceptance Date: May 10, 2010
• Publication Date: Aug 13, 2010
• Deposit Date: Aug 1, 2016
• Publicly Available Date: Aug 1, 2016
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Keywords: Assignment problem, scheduling and timetabling, heuristics metaheuristics
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/706614
• Additional Information: Published in: Proceedings of the 8th International Conference on the Practice and Theory of Automated ; Timetabling, 10-13 August 2010, Queen’s University ; of Belfast / Edited by Barry McCollum, Edmund Burke, George White. Belfast : Queen’s University Belfast, 2010, p. 152-166. ISBN 0853899733
• Contract Date: Aug 1, 2016