Constructing School Timetables Using Simulated Annealing: Sequential and Parallel Algorithms

This paper considers a solution to the school timetabling problem. The timetabling problem involves scheduling a number of tuples, each consisting of class of students, a teacher, a subject and a room, to a fixed number of time slots. A Monte Carlo scheme called simulated annealing is used as an opt...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Management science Vol. 37; no. 1; pp. 98 - 113
Main Author: Abramson, D
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Linthicum, MD INFORMS 01.01.1991
Institute of Management Sciences
Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences
Series:Management Science
Subjects:
Algorithms
Annealing
Applied sciences
Capital costs
Classroom communication
Cooling
Cost efficiency
Cost functions
Datasets
Exact sciences and technology
Management science
Monte Carlo simulation
Operational research and scientific management
Operational research. Management science
Optimization
Optimization techniques
Period costs
Scheduling
Scheduling, sequencing
Schools
Secondary schools
Simulated annealing
Statistical analysis
Student teacher relationship
Studies
Teachers
Weighting
Australia
Parallel algorithm
Experimental result
Sequential method
Simulated annealing
Scheduling
School environment
Optimization
ISSN:0025-1909, 1526-5501
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:This paper considers a solution to the school timetabling problem. The timetabling problem involves scheduling a number of tuples, each consisting of class of students, a teacher, a subject and a room, to a fixed number of time slots. A Monte Carlo scheme called simulated annealing is used as an optimisation technique. The paper introduces the timetabling problem, and then describes the simulated annealing method. Annealing is then applied to the timetabling problem. A prototype timetabling environment is described followed by some experimental results. A parallel algorithm which can be implemented on a multiprocessor is presented. This algorithm can provide a faster solution than the equivalent sequential algorithm. Some further experimental results are given.
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ISSN:0025-1909
1526-5501
DOI:10.1287/mnsc.37.1.98