New Heuristic Local Search Method for University Course Timetabling

Purpose: This paper presents a new two-phase method for solving the curriculum-based university course timetabling problem. A new metaheuristic approach is used in both phases of the new present method.Methodology: A feasible, high-quality solution is computed in the first phase of the new method. T...

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Main Authors: Mohammad Sadegh Shiri, Mostafa Khorramizadeh, Vahid Ahmadi
Format: Article
Language:fas
Published: Ayandegan Institute of Higher Education, Tonekabon, 2023-02-01
Series:مدیریت نوآوری و راهبردهای عملیاتی
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Online Access:http://www.journal-imos.ir/article_152542_3ec83821ea7fe06ba5fae9508ae62d9f.pdf
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author Mohammad Sadegh Shiri
Mostafa Khorramizadeh
Vahid Ahmadi
author_facet Mohammad Sadegh Shiri
Mostafa Khorramizadeh
Vahid Ahmadi
author_sort Mohammad Sadegh Shiri
collection DOAJ
description Purpose: This paper presents a new two-phase method for solving the curriculum-based university course timetabling problem. A new metaheuristic approach is used in both phases of the new present method.Methodology: A feasible, high-quality solution is computed in the first phase of the new method. To this end, the hard constraints relating to the periods are considered, and a solution is computed that satisfies these hard constraints. In the next step, a new method is introduced for assigning rooms to courses, after which a feasible solution is calculated based on the solution that satisfies the period's hard constraints. In the second phase, several new neighbourhood functions are used to improve the quality of computed feasible solutions. While the fitness function of the first phase is based on the violation of hard constraints, the fitness function of the second phase is based on the penalty of the feasible solution.Findings: The numerical results indicate that the required computing time increases with the size of instances, and the algorithm tends to converge towards the optimal solution after a few minutes.Originality/Value: The presented algorithm enables us to deal with extensive university course timetabling problems in practice. Moreover, it provides us with an efficient way to obtain feasible solutions to such real-world instances and try to improve their quality.
format Article
id doaj-art-4ab97b27448440df97738a7b38729256
institution Kabale University
issn 2783-1345
2717-4581
language fas
publishDate 2023-02-01
publisher Ayandegan Institute of Higher Education, Tonekabon,
record_format Article
series مدیریت نوآوری و راهبردهای عملیاتی
spelling doaj-art-4ab97b27448440df97738a7b387292562025-01-30T14:56:07ZfasAyandegan Institute of Higher Education, Tonekabon,مدیریت نوآوری و راهبردهای عملیاتی2783-13452717-45812023-02-013445246410.22105/imos.2022.332030.1215152542New Heuristic Local Search Method for University Course TimetablingMohammad Sadegh Shiri0Mostafa Khorramizadeh1Vahid Ahmadi2Department of Applied Mathematics, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Islamic Azad University of Arsanjan Branch, Arsanjan, Iran.Department of Optimization, Faculty of Mathematical Sciences, Shiraz University of Technology, Shiraz, Iran.Department of Optimization, Faculty of Mathematical Sciences, Shiraz University of Technology, Shiraz, IranPurpose: This paper presents a new two-phase method for solving the curriculum-based university course timetabling problem. A new metaheuristic approach is used in both phases of the new present method.Methodology: A feasible, high-quality solution is computed in the first phase of the new method. To this end, the hard constraints relating to the periods are considered, and a solution is computed that satisfies these hard constraints. In the next step, a new method is introduced for assigning rooms to courses, after which a feasible solution is calculated based on the solution that satisfies the period's hard constraints. In the second phase, several new neighbourhood functions are used to improve the quality of computed feasible solutions. While the fitness function of the first phase is based on the violation of hard constraints, the fitness function of the second phase is based on the penalty of the feasible solution.Findings: The numerical results indicate that the required computing time increases with the size of instances, and the algorithm tends to converge towards the optimal solution after a few minutes.Originality/Value: The presented algorithm enables us to deal with extensive university course timetabling problems in practice. Moreover, it provides us with an efficient way to obtain feasible solutions to such real-world instances and try to improve their quality.http://www.journal-imos.ir/article_152542_3ec83821ea7fe06ba5fae9508ae62d9f.pdfheuristic methodlocal searchschedulingtabu searchuniversity course timetabling
spellingShingle Mohammad Sadegh Shiri
Mostafa Khorramizadeh
Vahid Ahmadi
New Heuristic Local Search Method for University Course Timetabling
مدیریت نوآوری و راهبردهای عملیاتی
heuristic method
local search
scheduling
tabu search
university course timetabling
title New Heuristic Local Search Method for University Course Timetabling
title_full New Heuristic Local Search Method for University Course Timetabling
title_fullStr New Heuristic Local Search Method for University Course Timetabling
title_full_unstemmed New Heuristic Local Search Method for University Course Timetabling
title_short New Heuristic Local Search Method for University Course Timetabling
title_sort new heuristic local search method for university course timetabling
topic heuristic method
local search
scheduling
tabu search
university course timetabling
url http://www.journal-imos.ir/article_152542_3ec83821ea7fe06ba5fae9508ae62d9f.pdf
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AT mostafakhorramizadeh newheuristiclocalsearchmethodforuniversitycoursetimetabling
AT vahidahmadi newheuristiclocalsearchmethodforuniversitycoursetimetabling