Genetic algorithms in timetabling and scheduling

Abstract

This thesis investigates the use of genetic algorithms (GAs) for solving a range of timetabling and scheduling problems. Such problems are very hard in general, and GAs offer a useful and successful alternative to existing techniques. A framework is presented for GAs to solve modular timetabling problems in educational institutions. The approach involves three components: declaring problemspecific constraints, constructing a problem-specific evaluation function and using a problem-independent GA to attempt to solve the problem. Successful results are demonstrated and a general analysis of the reliability and robustness of the approach is conducted. The basic approach can readily handle a wide variety of general timetabling problem constraints, and is therefore likely to be of great practical usefulness (indeed, an earlier version is already in use). The approach relies for its success on the use of specially designed mutation operators which greatly improve upon the performance of a GA...

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