A populated local search with differential evolution for blocking flowshop scheduling problem

This paper presents a populated local search algorithm through a differential evolution algorithm for solving the blocking flowshop scheduling problem under makespan criterion. Iterated greedy and iterated local search algorithms are simple but extremely effective in solving scheduling problems. However, these two algorithms have some parameters to be tuned for which it requires a design of experiments with expensive runs. In this paper, we propose a novel multi-chromosome solution representation for both local search and differential evolution algorithm which is responsible for providing the parameters of IG and ILS algorithms. In other words, these parameters are learned by the differential evolution algorithm in order to guide the local search process. We also present the greedy randomized adaptive search procedure (GRASP) for the problem on hand. The performance of the populated local search algorithm with differential evolution algorithm and the GRASP heuristic is tested on Taillard's benchmark suite and compared to the best performing algorithms from the literature. Ultimately, 90 out of 120 problem instances are further improved.

[1]  Débora P. Ronconi,et al.  Some heuristic algorithms for total tardiness minimization in a flowshop with blocking , 2009 .

[2]  E.L. Lawler,et al.  Optimization and Approximation in Deterministic Sequencing and Scheduling: a Survey , 1977 .

[3]  Mehmet Fatih Tasgetiren,et al.  A discrete differential evolution algorithm for single machine total weighted tardiness problem with sequence dependent setup times , 2008, IEEE Congress on Evolutionary Computation.

[4]  Shih-Wei Lin,et al.  Minimizing makespan in a blocking flowshop using a revised artificial immune system algorithm , 2013 .

[5]  Ponnuthurai N. Suganthan,et al.  A novel hybrid discrete differential evolution algorithm for blocking flow shop scheduling problems , 2010, Comput. Oper. Res..

[6]  Inyong Ham,et al.  A heuristic algorithm for the m-machine, n-job flow-shop sequencing problem , 1983 .

[7]  Débora P. Ronconi,et al.  Lower bounding schemes for flowshops with blocking in-process , 2001, J. Oper. Res. Soc..

[8]  Chelliah Sriskandarajah,et al.  A Survey of Machine Scheduling Problems with Blocking and No-Wait in Process , 1996, Oper. Res..

[9]  Józef Grabowski,et al.  Sequencing of jobs in some production system , 2000, Eur. J. Oper. Res..

[10]  Lixin Tang,et al.  A two-stage flow shop scheduling problem on a batching machine and a discrete machine with blocking and shared setup times , 2010, Comput. Oper. Res..

[11]  Chelliah Sriskandarajah,et al.  Minimizing Cycle Time in a Blocking Flowshop , 2000, Oper. Res..

[12]  J. Grabowski,et al.  The permutation flow shop problem with blocking. A tabu search approach , 2007 .

[13]  Liping Zheng,et al.  A hybrid based GA and HS algorithms in blocking flow shop scheduling problems , 2011, 2011 Second International Conference on Mechanic Automation and Control Engineering.

[14]  Thomas A. Feo,et al.  A grasp for single machine scheduling with sequence dependent setup costs and linear delay penalties , 1996, Comput. Oper. Res..

[15]  Liping Zheng,et al.  An improved HS algorithms for the blocking flow shop scheduling problems , 2012, 2012 International Conference on Computer Science and Information Processing (CSIP).

[16]  Quan-Ke Pan,et al.  Scheduling the blocking flow shop problem using a harmony search algorithm , 2010, 2010 Sixth International Conference on Natural Computation.

[17]  Mehmet Fatih Tasgetiren,et al.  Minimizing the total flow time in a flow shop with blocking by using hybrid harmony search algorithms , 2010, Expert Syst. Appl..

[18]  Imma Ribas,et al.  An iterated greedy algorithm for the flowshop scheduling problem with blocking , 2011 .

[19]  Ling Wang,et al.  Effective heuristics for the blocking flowshop scheduling problem with makespan minimization , 2012 .

[20]  Cheng Wang,et al.  A three-phase algorithm for flowshop scheduling with blocking to minimize makespan , 2012, Comput. Oper. Res..

[21]  Débora P. Ronconi,et al.  A note on constructive heuristics for the flowshop problem with blocking , 2004 .

[22]  Rainer Leisten,et al.  Flowshop sequencing problems with limited buffer storage , 1990 .

[23]  E. Lawler,et al.  Well-solved special cases , 1985 .

[24]  I. Osman,et al.  Simulated annealing for permutation flow-shop scheduling , 1989 .

[25]  Éric D. Taillard,et al.  Benchmarks for basic scheduling problems , 1993 .

[26]  Mehmet Fatih Tasgetiren,et al.  A discrete artificial bee colony algorithm for the total flowtime minimization in permutation flow shops , 2011, Inf. Sci..

[27]  Mehmet Fatih Tasgetiren,et al.  A variable iterated greedy algorithm with differential evolution for the no-idle permutation flowshop scheduling problem , 2013, Comput. Oper. Res..

[28]  G. G. Stokes.  "J." , 1890, The New Yale Book of Quotations.

[29]  Thomas Stützle,et al.  Iterated local search for the quadratic assignment problem , 2006, Eur. J. Oper. Res..

[30]  José Humberto Ablanedo-Rosas,et al.  Makespan and workstation utilization minimization in a flowshop with operations flexibility , 2011 .

[31]  Jacek Blazewicz,et al.  Handbook on Scheduling: From Theory to Applications , 2014 .

[32]  Michael Pinedo,et al.  Sequencing in an Assembly Line with Blocking to Minimize Cycle Time , 1989, Oper. Res..

[33]  Tapan P. Bagchi,et al.  Minimizing makespan in a blocking flowshop using genetic algorithms , 2001 .

[34]  Rubén Ruiz,et al.  Genetic algorithms with path relinking for the minimum tardiness permutation flowshop problem , 2010 .

[35]  Mehmet Fatih Tasgetiren,et al.  A discrete differential evolution algorithm for the permutation flowshop scheduling problem , 2008, Comput. Ind. Eng..

[36]  Mehmet Fatih Tasgetiren,et al.  A hybrid harmony search algorithm for the blocking permutation flow shop scheduling problem , 2011, Comput. Ind. Eng..

[37]  R. Storn,et al.  Differential Evolution - A simple and efficient adaptive scheme for global optimization over continuous spaces , 2004 .

[38]  Thomas Stützle,et al.  A simple and effective iterated greedy algorithm for the permutation flowshop scheduling problem , 2007, Eur. J. Oper. Res..

[39]  Quan-Ke Pan,et al.  An estimation of distribution algorithm for lot-streaming flow shop problems with setup times , 2012 .

[40]  Min Liu,et al.  A High Performing Memetic Algorithm for the Flowshop Scheduling Problem With Blocking , 2013, IEEE Transactions on Automation Science and Engineering.

[41]  Débora P. Ronconi,et al.  A Branch-and-Bound Algorithm to Minimize the Makespan in a Flowshop with Blocking , 2005, Ann. Oper. Res..

[42]  Rainer Storn,et al.  Differential Evolution – A Simple and Efficient Heuristic for global Optimization over Continuous Spaces , 1997, J. Glob. Optim..