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Parallel ant colony optimization for resource constrained job scheduling

Author

Listed:
  • Dhananjay Thiruvady

    (Monash University
    CSIRO Mathematics)

  • Andreas T. Ernst

    (CSIRO Mathematics)

  • Gaurav Singh

    (CSIRO Mathematics)

Abstract

In mining supply chains, large combinatorial optimization problems arise. These are NP-hard and typically require a large number of computing resources to solve them. In particular, the run-time overheads can become increasingly prohibitive with increasing problem sizes. Parallel methods provide a way to manage such run-time issues by utilising several processors in independent or shared memory architectures. However it is not obvious how to adapt serial optimisation algorithms to perform best in a parallel environment. Here, we consider a resource constrained scheduling problem which is motivated in mining supply chains and present two popular meta-heuristics, ant colony optimization (ACO) and simulated annealing and investigate how best to parallelize these methods on a shared memory architecture consisting of several cores. ACO’s solution construction framework is inherently parallel allowing a relatively straightforward parallel implementation. However, for best performance, ACO needs an element of local search. This significantly complicates the paralellization. Several alternative schemes for parallel ACO with elements of local search are considered and evaluated empirically. We find that ACO with local search is the most effective single-threaded algorithm. The best parallel implementation can obtain similar quality results to the serial method in significantly less elapsed time.

Suggested Citation

  • Dhananjay Thiruvady & Andreas T. Ernst & Gaurav Singh, 2016. "Parallel ant colony optimization for resource constrained job scheduling," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 242(2), pages 355-372, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:annopr:v:242:y:2016:i:2:d:10.1007_s10479-014-1577-7
    DOI: 10.1007/s10479-014-1577-7
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Valls, Vicente & Quintanilla, Sacramento & Ballestin, Francisco, 2003. "Resource-constrained project scheduling: A critical activity reordering heuristic," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 149(2), pages 282-301, September.
    2. Brucker, Peter & Drexl, Andreas & Mohring, Rolf & Neumann, Klaus & Pesch, Erwin, 1999. "Resource-constrained project scheduling: Notation, classification, models, and methods," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 112(1), pages 3-41, January.
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    Cited by:

    1. Sakineh Lakzaei & Donya Rahmani & Babak Mohamadpour Tosarkani & Sepideh Nasiri, 2023. "Integrated optimal scheduling and routing of repair crew and relief vehicles after disaster: a novel hybrid solution approach," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 328(2), pages 1495-1522, September.
    2. Schryen, Guido, 2020. "Parallel computational optimization in operations research: A new integrative framework, literature review and research directions," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 287(1), pages 1-18.
    3. Kannan Govindan, 2016. "Evolutionary algorithms for supply chain management," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 242(2), pages 195-206, July.

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