Solving Sequencing Problems Through Reordering Operations

Abstract An heuristic method is presented for determining low-cost solutions of one-machine scheduling problems with delay costs. The algorithm involves starting with a logically determined initial sequence and then successively improving the sequence by reordering, using insertion, exchange, and displacement operations. Computational results on a set of 197 problems, with up to 40 jobs, are compared to branch and bound, and integer programming computational experience. The reordering algorithm produced optimal solutions for all problems in this set.