Case-based heuristic selection for timetabling problems

  • Authors:

  • Edmund K. Burke;Sanja Petrovic;Rong Qu

  • Affiliations:

  • Automated Scheduling Optimisation and Planning (ASAP) Group, School of Computer Science and Information Technology, Jubilee Campus, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK NG8 1BB;Automated Scheduling Optimisation and Planning (ASAP) Group, School of Computer Science and Information Technology, Jubilee Campus, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK NG8 1BB;Automated Scheduling Optimisation and Planning (ASAP) Group, School of Computer Science and Information Technology, Jubilee Campus, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK NG8 1BB

  • Venue:
  • Journal of Scheduling
  • Year:
  • 2006

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Abstract

This paper presents a case-based heuristic selection approach for automated university course and exam timetabling. The method described in this paper is motivated by the goal of developing timetabling systems that are fundamentally more general than the current state of the art. Heuristics that worked well in previous similar situations are memorized in a case base and are retrieved for solving the problem in hand. Knowledge discovery techniques are employed in two distinct scenarios. Firstly, we model the problem and the problem solving situations along with specific heuristics for those problems. Secondly, we refine the case base and discard cases which prove to be non-useful in solving new problems. Experimental results are presented and analyzed. It is shown that case based reasoning can act effectively as an intelligent approach to learn which heuristics work well for particular timetabling situations. We conclude by outlining and discussing potential research issues in this critical area of knowledge discovery for different difficult timetabling problems.