Abstract
A hybrid Multi-Objective Evolutionary Algorithm is used to tackle the uncapacitated exam proximity problem. In this hybridization, local search operators are used instead of the traditional genetic recombination operators. One of the search operators is designed to repair unfeasible timetables produced by the initialization procedure and the mutation operator. The other search operator implements a simplified Variable Neighborhood Descent meta-heuristic and its role is to improve the proximity cost. The resulting non dominated timetables are compared with those produced by other optimization methods using 15 public domain datasets. Without special fine-tuning, the hybrid algorithm was able to produce timetables with good rankings in nine of the 15 datasets.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Asmuni, H., Burke, E.K., Garibaldi, J.M.: Fuzzy Multiple Ordering Criteria for Examination Timetabling. In: Burke, E.K., Trick, M.A. (eds.) PATAT 2004. LNCS, vol. 3616, pp. 51–65. Springer, Heidelberg (2005)
Burke, E., Bykov, Y., Petrovic, S.: A Multicriteria Approach to Examination Timetabling. In: Burke, E., Erben, W. (eds.) PATAT 2000. LNCS, vol. 2079, pp. 118–131. Springer, Heidelberg (2001)
Burke, E., Newall, J.: Enhancing Timetable Solutions with Local Search Methods. In: Burke, E.K., De Causmaecker, P. (eds.) PATAT 2002. LNCS, vol. 2740, pp. 195–206. Springer, Heidelberg (2003)
Burke, E., Newall, J., Weare, R.: Memetic Algorithm for University Exam Timetabling. In: Burke, E.K., Ross, P. (eds.) PATAT 1995. LNCS, vol. 1153, pp. 241–250. Springer, Heidelberg (1996)
Caramia, M., Dell’Olmo, P., Italiano, G.: New Algorithms for Examination Timetabling. In: Näher, S., Wagner, D. (eds.) WAE 2000. LNCS, vol. 1982, pp. 230–241. Springer, Heidelberg (2001)
Carter, M.W., Laporte, G., Yan Lee, S.: J. Oper. Res. Soc. 47, 373–383 (1996)
Casey, S., Thompson, J.: Grasping the Examination Scheduling Problem. In: Burke, E.K., De Causmaecker, P. (eds.) PATAT 2002. LNCS, vol. 2740, pp. 232–244. Springer, Heidelberg (2003)
Deb, K.A.: Multi-Objective Optimization Using Evolutionary Algorithms. Wiley, Hoboken (2001)
Di Gaspero, L.: Recolor, Shake and Kick: A Recipe for the Examination Timetabling Problem. In: Burke, E.K., De Causmaecker, P. (eds.) PATAT 2002. LNCS, vol. 2740, pp. 404–407. Springer, Heidelberg (2003)
Di Gaspero, L., Schaerf, A.: Tabu Search Techniques for Examination Timetabling. In: Burke, E., Erben, W. (eds.) PATAT 2000. LNCS, vol. 2079, pp. 104–117. Springer, Heidelberg (2001)
Dueck, G.: New Optimization Heuristics: The Great Deluge Algorithm and the Record-to-Record Travel. J. Comput. Phys. 104, 86–92 (1993)
Feo, T.A., Resende, M.G.: Greedy Randomized Adaptive Search Procedures. J. Global Optim. 6, 109–133 (1995)
Fonseca, C., Fleming, P.: Multiobjective Optimization and Multiple Constraint Handling with Evolutionary Algorithms. I: A Unified Formulation. IEEE Trans. on Systems, Man and Cybernetics, Part A (Systems and Humans) 28, 26–37 (1998)
Gendreau, M., Hertz, A., Laporte, G.: Tabu Search Heuristic for the Vehicle Routing Problem. Manage. Sci. 40, 1276–1290 (1994)
Merlot, L., Boland, N., Hughes, B., Stuckey, P.: A Hybrid Algorithm for the Examination Timetabling Problem. In: Burke, E.K., De Causmaecker, P. (eds.) PATAT 2002. LNCS, vol. 2740, pp. 207–231. Springer, Heidelberg (2003)
Mladenovic, N., Hansen, P.: Variable Neighborhood Search. Comput. Oper. Res. 24, 1097–1100 (1997)
Morgenstern, C., Shapiro, H.: Coloration Neighborhood Structures for General Graph Coloring. In: Proceedings of the first annual ACM-SIAM symposium on Discrete algorithms, San Francisco. Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics, pp. 226–235 (1990)
Osyczka, A., Krenich, S.: New Constraint Tournament Selection Method for Multicriteria Optimization Using Genetic Algorithm. In: Proceedings of the IEEE Congress on Evolutionary Computation (CEC2000), vol. 1. IEEE, Piscataway (2000)
Paquete, L., Fonseca, C.: A Study of Examination Timetabling with Multiobjective Evolutionary Algorithms. In: 4th Metaheuristics International Conference (MIC 2001), Porto, pp. 149–154 (2001)
Paquete, L., Stutzle, T.: Empirical Analysis of Tabu Search for the Lexicographic Optimization of the Examination Timetabling Problem. In: Burke, E.K., De Causmaecker, P. (eds.) PATAT 2002. LNCS, vol. 2740, pp. 413–420. Springer, Heidelberg (2003)
Petrovic, S., Bykov, Y.: A Multiobjective Optimization Technique for Exam Timetabling Based on Trajectories. In: Burke, E.K., De Causmaecker, P. (eds.) PATAT 2002. LNCS, vol. 2740, pp. 179–192. Springer, Heidelberg (2003)
Radcliffe, N.J., Surry, P.D.: Formal Memetic Algorithms. In: Fogarty, T.C. (ed.) AISB-WS 1994. LNCS, vol. 865, pp. 1–16. Springer, Heidelberg (1994)
Silva Linda, J.D., Burke, E.K., Petrovic, S.: An Introduction to Multiobjective Metaheuristics for Scheduling and Timetabling. In: Gandibleux, X., Sevaux, M., Sorensen, K., T’Kindt, V. (eds.) MetaHeuristics for Multiobjective Optimisation. Lecture Notes in Economics and Mathematical Systems, vol. 535, pp. 91–129. Springer, Berlin (2004)
Thompson, J.M., Dowsland, K.A.: Robust Simulated Annealing Based Examination Timetabling System. Comput. Oper. Res. 25, 637–648 (1998)
White, G., Xie, B.: Examination Timetables and Tabu Search with Longer-Term Memory. In: Burke, E., Erben, W. (eds.) PATAT 2000. LNCS, vol. 2079, pp. 85–103. Springer, Heidelberg (2001)
Zitzler, E., Laumanns, M., Thiele, L.: Spea2: Improving the Strength Pareto Evolutionary Algorithm for Multiobjective Optimization. In: Evolutionary Methods for Design Optimisation and Control, Barcelona, Spain, CIMNE, pp. 95–100 (2002)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2005 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this paper
Cite this paper
Côté, P., Wong, T., Sabourin, R. (2005). A Hybrid Multi-objective Evolutionary Algorithm for the Uncapacitated Exam Proximity Problem. In: Burke, E., Trick, M. (eds) Practice and Theory of Automated Timetabling V. PATAT 2004. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 3616. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/11593577_17
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/11593577_17
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-540-30705-1
Online ISBN: 978-3-540-32421-8
eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)