1,898 research outputs found

    Ergonomic Chair Design by Fusing Qualitative and Quantitative Criteria using Interactive Genetic Algorithms

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    This paper emphasizes the necessity of formally bringing qualitative and quantitative criteria of ergonomic design together, and provides a novel complementary design framework with this aim. Within this framework, different design criteria are viewed as optimization objectives; and design solutions are iteratively improved through the cooperative efforts of computer and user. The framework is rooted in multi-objective optimization, genetic algorithms and interactive user evaluation. Three different algorithms based on the framework are developed, and tested with an ergonomic chair design problem. The parallel and multi-objective approaches show promising results in fitness convergence, design diversity and user satisfaction metrics

    Shift Scheduling of Short Time Workers in Large-Scale Home Improvement Center by using Cooperative Evolution

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    There are a lot of large-scale Home Improvement Center (HIC) in Japan. In the large-scale HIC,about hundred short time workers are registered. And about forty workers are working every day. A managercreates a monthly shift schedule. The manager selects the workers required for each working day, assigns theworking time and break time for each worker and also work placement. Because there are many requirementsfor the scheduling, the scheduling consumes time costs and efforts. Therefore, we propose the technique to createand optimize the schedule of the short time workers in order to reduce the burden of the manager. A cooperativeevolution is applied for generating and optimizing the shift schedule of short time worker. Several problems hasbeen found in carrying out this research. This paper proposes techniques to automatically create and optimize theshift schedule of workers in large-scale HIC by using a Cooperative Evolution (CE), to solve the situation thatmany workers concentrate in a speci c time zone, and to solve the situation where many breaks are concentratedin a speci c break time zone, and an effective mutation operators

    A heuristic algorithm for nurse scheduling with balanced preference satisfaction

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    This paper tackles the nurse scheduling problem with balanced preference satisfaction which consists of generating an assignment of shifts to nurses over a given time horizon and ensuring that the satisfaction of nurses personal preferences for shifts is as even as possible in order to ensure fairness. We propose a heuristic algorithm based on successive resolutions of the bottleneck assignment problem. The algorithm has two phases. In the first phase, the algorithm constructs an initial solution by solving successive bottleneck assignment problems. In the second phase, two improvement procedures based on reassignment steps are applied. Computational tests are carried out using instances from the standard benchmark dataset NSPLib. Our experiments indicate that the proposed method is effective and efficient, reducing discrepancies (hence improving fairness) between the individual rosters

    A heuristic algorithm for nurse scheduling with balanced preference satisfaction

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    This paper tackles the nurse scheduling problem with balanced preference satisfaction which consists of generating an assignment of shifts to nurses over a given time horizon and ensuring that the satisfaction of nurses personal preferences for shifts is as even as possible in order to ensure fairness. We propose a heuristic algorithm based on successive resolutions of the bottleneck assignment problem. The algorithm has two phases. In the first phase, the algorithm constructs an initial solution by solving successive bottleneck assignment problems. In the second phase, two improvement procedures based on reassignment steps are applied. Computational tests are carried out using instances from the standard benchmark dataset NSPLib. Our experiments indicate that the proposed method is effective and efficient, reducing discrepancies (hence improving fairness) between the individual rosters

    A Literature Review of Cuckoo Search Algorithm

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    Optimization techniques play key role in real world problems. In many situations where decisions are taken based on random search they are used. But choosing optimal Optimization algorithm is a major challenge to the user. This paper presents a review on Cuckoo Search Algorithm which can replace many traditionally used techniques. Cuckoo search uses Levi flight strategy based on Egg laying Radius in deriving the solution specific to problem. CS optimization algorithm increases the efficiency, accuracy, and convergence rate. Different categories of the cuckoo search and several applications of the cuckoo search are reviewed. Keywords: Cuckoo Search Optimization, Applications , Levy Flight DOI: 10.7176/JEP/11-8-01 Publication date:March 31st 202

    Solving Challenging Real-World Scheduling Problems

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    This work contains a series of studies on the optimization of three real-world scheduling problems, school timetabling, sports scheduling and staff scheduling. These challenging problems are solved to customer satisfaction using the proposed PEAST algorithm. The customer satisfaction refers to the fact that implementations of the algorithm are in industry use. The PEAST algorithm is a product of long-term research and development. The first version of it was introduced in 1998. This thesis is a result of a five-year development of the algorithm. One of the most valuable characteristics of the algorithm has proven to be the ability to solve a wide range of scheduling problems. It is likely that it can be tuned to tackle also a range of other combinatorial problems. The algorithm uses features from numerous different metaheuristics which is the main reason for its success. In addition, the implementation of the algorithm is fast enough for real-world use.Siirretty Doriast

    A Comprehensive Survey on Particle Swarm Optimization Algorithm and Its Applications

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    Particle swarm optimization (PSO) is a heuristic global optimization method, proposed originally by Kennedy and Eberhart in 1995. It is now one of the most commonly used optimization techniques. This survey presented a comprehensive investigation of PSO. On one hand, we provided advances with PSO, including its modifications (including quantum-behaved PSO, bare-bones PSO, chaotic PSO, and fuzzy PSO), population topology (as fully connected, von Neumann, ring, star, random, etc.), hybridization (with genetic algorithm, simulated annealing, Tabu search, artificial immune system, ant colony algorithm, artificial bee colony, differential evolution, harmonic search, and biogeography-based optimization), extensions (to multiobjective, constrained, discrete, and binary optimization), theoretical analysis (parameter selection and tuning, and convergence analysis), and parallel implementation (in multicore, multiprocessor, GPU, and cloud computing forms). On the other hand, we offered a survey on applications of PSO to the following eight fields: electrical and electronic engineering, automation control systems, communication theory, operations research, mechanical engineering, fuel and energy, medicine, chemistry, and biology. It is hoped that this survey would be beneficial for the researchers studying PSO algorithms

    Solving Combinatorial Optimization Problems Using Genetic Algorithms and Ant Colony Optimization

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    This dissertation presents metaheuristic approaches in the areas of genetic algorithms and ant colony optimization to combinatorial optimization problems. Ant colony optimization for the split delivery vehicle routing problem An Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) based approach is presented to solve the Split Delivery Vehicle Routing Problem (SDVRP). SDVRP is a relaxation of the Capacitated Vehicle Routing Problem (CVRP) wherein a customer can be visited by more than one vehicle. The proposed ACO based algorithm is tested on benchmark problems previously published in the literature. The results indicate that the ACO based approach is competitive in both solution quality and solution time. In some instances, the ACO method achieves the best known results to date for the benchmark problems. Hybrid genetic algorithm for the split delivery vehicle routing problem (SDVRP) The Vehicle Routing Problem (VRP) is a combinatory optimization problem in the field of transportation and logistics. There are various variants of VRP which have been developed of the years; one of which is the Split Delivery Vehicle Routing Problem (SDVRP). The SDVRP allows customers to be assigned to multiple routes. A hybrid genetic algorithm comprising a combination of ant colony optimization, genetic algorithm, and heuristics is proposed and tested on benchmark SDVRP test problems. Genetic algorithm approach to solve the hospital physician scheduling problem Emergency departments have repeating 24-hour cycles of non-stationary Poisson arrivals and high levels of service time variation. The problem is to find a shift schedule that considers queuing effects and minimizes average patient waiting time and maximizes physicians’ shift preference subject to constraints on shift start times, shift durations and total physician hours available per day. An approach that utilizes a genetic algorithm and discrete event simulation to solve the physician scheduling problem in a hospital is proposed. The approach is tested on real world datasets for physician schedules
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