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Hybridising plant propagation and local search for uncapacitated exam scheduling problems

Author

Listed:
  • Meryem Cheraitia
  • Salim Haddadi
  • Abdellah Salhi

Abstract

The uncapacitated exam scheduling problem (UESP) is a well-known computationally intractable combinatorial optimisation problem. It aims at assigning exams to a predefined number of periods, avoiding conflicts over the same period, and spreading exams as evenly as possible. Here, we suggest a new hybrid algorithm combining the plant propagation algorithm (PPA) and local search (LS) for it. PPA is a population-based metaheuristic that mimics the way plants propagate. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time this idea is exploited in the context of UESP. Extensive testing on the University of Toronto benchmark dataset, and comparison against a large number of new as well as well-established methods shows that this new metaheuristic is competitive and represents a substantial addition to the arsenal of tools for solving the problem.

Suggested Citation

  • Meryem Cheraitia & Salim Haddadi & Abdellah Salhi, 2019. "Hybridising plant propagation and local search for uncapacitated exam scheduling problems," International Journal of Services and Operations Management, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 32(4), pages 450-467.
    • Handle: RePEc:ids:ijsoma:v:32:y:2019:i:4:p:450-467
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