A Genetic Approach Based Solution for Seat Allocation during Counseling for Engineering Courses

Genetic Algorithm (GA) is one of the most popular optimization solutions for scheduling problems and has already been used to implement variety of applications. In this paper, we describe a heavily constrained seat allocation problem experienced during counseling for seat allocation in college/universities based upon the merit of students computed on the basis of an entrance test. Manual process of allocating seats is not just inconvenient but proves expensive in terms of time and money. The application of GA involves using selection, crossover or mutation operators applied to populations of chromosomes. We propose a powerful technique using genetic algorithm (GA) in scheduling as a potential solution to the seat allocation process which has been supported with the help of an illustrative example.