Solving the Examination Timetabling Problem with the Shuffled Frog-leaping Algorithm

Shuffled Frog-Leaping Algorithm (SFLA) is a recently proposed memetic metaheuristic algorithm for solving combinatorial optimisation problems. SFLA has both global and local search capabilities, and great convergence speed towards the global optimum. Compared to a genetic algorithm, the experimental results show an effective reduction of the number of evaluations required to find the global optimal solution. The Examination Timetabling Problem (ETTP) is a complex combinatorial optimisation problem faced by schools and universities every epoch. In this work, we apply the Shuffled Frog-Leaping Algorithm to solve the ETTP. The evolution step of the algorithm, specifically the local exploration in the submemeplex is adapted based on the standard SFLA. The algorithm was evaluated on the Toronto benchmark instances, and the preliminary experimental results obtained are comparable to those produced by state of art algorithms while requiring much less time.

[1]  Edmund K. Burke,et al.  Solving Examination Timetabling Problems through Adaption of Heuristic Orderings , 2004, Ann. Oper. Res..

[2]  Shengyao Wang,et al.  An effective shuffled frog-leaping algorithm for hybrid flow-shop scheduling with multiprocessor tasks , 2013 .

[3]  Michael W. Carter,et al.  OR Practice - A Survey of Practical Applications of Examination Timetabling Algorithms , 1986, Oper. Res..

[4]  E. Burke,et al.  A Late Acceptance Strategy in Hill-Climbing for Exam Timetabling Problems , 2008 .

[5]  Kevin E Lansey,et al.  Optimization of Water Distribution Network Design Using the Shuffled Frog Leaping Algorithm , 2003 .

[6]  Salwani Abdullah,et al.  A Tabu-Based Memetic Approach for Examination Timetabling Problems , 2010, RSKT.

[7]  Alireza Rahimi-Vahed,et al.  A hybrid multi-objective shuffled frog-leaping algorithm for a mixed-model assembly line sequencing problem , 2007, Comput. Ind. Eng..

[8]  Gilbert Laporte,et al.  Examination Timetabling: Algorithmic Strategies and Applications , 1994 .

[9]  Xia Li,et al.  Solving TSP with Shuffled Frog-Leaping Algorithm , 2008, 2008 Eighth International Conference on Intelligent Systems Design and Applications.

[10]  Gilbert Laporte,et al.  Recent Developments in Practical Examination Timetabling , 1995, PATAT.

[11]  Muzaffar Eusuff,et al.  Shuffled frog-leaping algorithm: a memetic meta-heuristic for discrete optimization , 2006 .

[12]  Edmund K. Burke,et al.  A survey of search methodologies and automated system development for examination timetabling , 2009, J. Sched..

[13]  Peter J. Stuckey,et al.  A Hybrid Algorithm for the Examination Timetabling Problem , 2002, PATAT.

[14]  Ali Maroosi,et al.  Application of shuffled frog-leaping algorithm on clustering , 2009 .

[15]  Patrick De Causmaecker,et al.  A hyperheuristic approach to examination timetabling problems: benchmarks and a new problem from practice , 2012, J. Sched..

[16]  Sanja Petrovic,et al.  Hybrid variable neighbourhood approaches to university exam timetabling , 2010, Eur. J. Oper. Res..

[17]  Sanja Petrovic,et al.  A Novel Similarity Measure for Heuristic Selection in Examination Timetabling , 2004, PATAT.

[18]  Ji Jun-zhon.  Discrete shuffled frog leaping algorithm for examination timetabling problem , 2009 .

[19]  Sanja Petrovic,et al.  University Timetabling , 2004, Handbook of Scheduling.