Self-adaptive large neighborhood search algorithm for parallel machine scheduling problems

A self-adaptive large neighborhood search method for scheduling n jobs on m non-identical parallel machines with mul- tiple time windows is presented. The problems＇ another feature lies in oversubscription, namely not all jobs can be scheduled within specified scheduling horizons due to the limited machine capacity. The objective is thus to maximize the overall profits of processed jobs while respecting machine constraints. A first-in- first-out heuristic is applied to find an initial solution, and then a large neighborhood search procedure is employed to relax and re- optimize cumbersome solutions. A machine learning mechanism is also introduced to converge on the most efficient neighborhoods for the problem. Extensive computational results are presented based on data from an application involving the daily observation scheduling of a fleet of earth observing satellites. The method rapidly solves most problem instances to optimal or near optimal and shows a robust performance in sensitive analysis.

Low-Rank and Sparse Representation with Adaptive Neighborhood Regularization for Hyperspectral Image Classification

Low-Rank and Sparse Representation(LRSR)method has gained popularity in Hyperspectral Image(HSI)processing.However,existing LRSR models rarely exploited spectral-spatial classification of HSI.In this paper,we proposed a novel Low-Rank and Sparse Representation with Adaptive Neighborhood Regularization(LRSR-ANR)method for HSI classification.In the proposed method,we first represent the hyperspectral data via LRSR since it combines both sparsity and low-rankness to maintain global and local data structures simultaneously.The LRSR is optimized by using a mixed Gauss-Seidel and Jacobian Alternating Direction Method of Multipliers(M-ADMM),which converges faster than ADMM.Then to incorporate the spatial information,an ANR scheme is designed by combining Euclidean and Cosine distance metrics to reduce the mixed pixels within a neighborhood.Lastly,the predicted labels are determined by jointly considering the homogeneous pixels in the classification rule of the minimum reconstruction error.Experimental results based on three popular hyperspectral images demonstrate that the proposed method outperforms other related methods in terms of classification accuracy and generalization performance.

An adaptive large neighborhood search for the multi-point dynamic aggregation problem

The multi-point dynamic aggregation(MPDA)problem is a challenging real-world problem.In the MPDA problem,the demands of tasks keep changing with their inherent incremental rates,while a heterogeneous robot fleet is required to travel between these tasks to change the time-varying state of each task.The robots are allowed to collaborate on the same task or work separately until all tasks are completed.It is challenging to generate an effective task execution plan due to the tight coupling between robots abilities and tasks'incremental rates,and the complexity of robot collaboration.For effectiveness consideration,we use the variable length encoding to avoid redundancy in the solution space.We creatively use the adaptive large neighborhood search(ALNS)framework to solve the MPDA problem.In the proposed algorithm,high-quality initial solutions are generated through multiple problem-specific solution construction heuristics.These heuristics are also used to fix the broken solution in the novel integrated decoding-construction repair process of the ALNS framework.The results of statistical analysis by the Wilcoxon rank-sum test demonstrate that the proposed ALNS can obtain better task execution plans than some state-of-the-art algorithms in most MPDA instances.

Joint mission and route planning of unmanned air vehicles via a learning-based heuristic

Unmanned air vehicles(UAVs) have been regularly employed in modern wars to conduct different missions. Instead of addressing mission planning and route planning separately,this study investigates the issue of joint mission and route planning for a fleet of UAVs. The mission planning determines the configuration of weapons in UAVs and the weapons to attack targets, while the route planning determines the UAV’s visiting sequence for the targets. The problem is formulated as an integer linear programming model. Due to the inefficiency of CPLEX on large scale optimization problems, an effective learningbased heuristic, namely, population based adaptive large neighborhood search(P-ALNS), is proposed to solve the model. In P-ALNS, seven neighborhood structures are designed and adaptively utilized in terms of their historical performance. The effectiveness and superiority of the proposed model and algorithm are demonstrated on test instances of small, medium and large sizes. In particular, P-ALNS achieves comparable solutions or as good as those of CPLEX on small-size(20 targets)instances in much shorter time.

Solving Multitrip Pickup and Delivery Problem With Time Windows and Manpower Planning Using Multiobjective Algorithms

The multitrip pickup and delivery problem with time windows and manpower planning(MTPDPTW-MP)determines a set of ambulance routes and finds staff assignment for a hospital. It involves different stakeholders with diverse interests and objectives. This study firstly introduces a multiobjective MTPDPTW-MP(MO-MTPDPTWMP) with three objectives to better describe the real-world scenario. A multiobjective iterated local search algorithm with adaptive neighborhood selection(MOILS-ANS) is proposed to solve the problem. MOILS-ANS can generate a diverse set of alternative solutions for decision makers to meet their requirements. To better explore the search space, problem-specific neighborhood structures and an adaptive neighborhood selection strategy are carefully designed in MOILS-ANS. Experimental results show that the proposed MOILS-ANS significantly outperforms the other two multiobjective algorithms. Besides, the nature of objective functions and the properties of the problem are analyzed. Finally, the proposed MOILS-ANS is compared with the previous single-objective algorithm and the benefits of multiobjective optimization are discussed.

An Improved Whale Optimization Algorithm for Feature Selection

Whale optimization algorithm(WOA)is a new population-based meta-heuristic algorithm.WOA uses shrinking encircling mechanism,spiral rise,and random learning strategies to update whale’s positions.WOA has merit in terms of simple calculation and high computational accuracy,but its convergence speed is slow and it is easy to fall into the local optimal solution.In order to overcome the shortcomings,this paper integrates adaptive neighborhood and hybrid mutation strategies into whale optimization algorithms,designs the average distance from itself to other whales as an adaptive neighborhood radius,and chooses to learn from the optimal solution in the neighborhood instead of random learning strategies.The hybrid mutation strategy is used to enhance the ability of algorithm to jump out of the local optimal solution.A new whale optimization algorithm(HMNWOA)is proposed.The proposed algorithm inherits the global search capability of the original algorithm,enhances the exploitation ability,improves the quality of the population,and thus improves the convergence speed of the algorithm.A feature selection algorithm based on binary HMNWOA is proposed.Twelve standard datasets from UCI repository test the validity of the proposed algorithm for feature selection.The experimental results show that HMNWOA is very competitive compared to the other six popular feature selection methods in improving the classification accuracy and reducing the number of features,and ensures that HMNWOA has strong search ability in the search feature space.

A Hybrid Heuristic Algorithm for Solving COVID-19’s Social Distancing at Universities Campus

Social distancing during COVID-19 has become one of the most important measures in reducing the risks of the spread of the virus. Implementing thesemeasures at universities is crucial and directly related to the physical attendance ofthe populations of students, professors, employees, and other members on campus. This research proposes an automated scheduling approach that can help universities and schools comply with the social distancing regulations by providingassistance in avoiding huge assemblages of people. Furthermore, this paper proposes a novel course timetable-scheduling scheme based on four main constraints.First, a distance of two meters must be maintained between each student inside theclassroom. Second, no classrooms should contain more than 20% of their regularcapacity. Third, there would be no back-to-back classes. Lastly, no lectures shouldbe held simultaneously in adjacent classrooms. The proposed approach wasimplemented using a variable neighborhood search (VNS) approach with an adaptive neighborhood structure (AD-NS) to resolve the problem of scheduling coursetimetables at Al-Ahlyyia Amman University. However, the experimental resultsshow that the proposed techniques outperformed the standard VNS tested on university course timetabling benchmark dataset ITC2007-Track3. Meanwhile, theapproach was tested using datasets collected from the faculty of information technology at Al-Ahlyyia Amman University (Jordan). Where the results showed that,the proposed technique could help educational institutes to resume their regularoperations while complying with the social distancing guidelines.

Solving vehicle routing problem with time windows using metaheuristic approaches

Purpose-Drugs are strategic products with essential functions in human health.An optimum design of the pharmaceutical supply chain is critical to avoid economic damage and adverse effects on human health.The vehicle-routing problem,focused on finding the lowest-cost routes with available vehicles and constraints,such as time constraints and road length,is an important aspect of this.In this paper,the vehicle routing problem(VRP)for a pharmaceutical company in Turkey is discussed.Design/methodology/approach-A mixed-integer programming(MIP)model based on the vehicle routing problem with time windows(VRPTW)is presented,aiming to minimize the total route cost with certain constraints.As the model provides an optimum solution for small problem sizes with the GUROBI®solver,for large problem sizes,metaheuristic methods that simulate annealing and adaptive large neighborhood search algorithms are proposed.A real dataset was used to analyze the effectiveness of the metaheuristic algorithms.The proposed simulated annealing(SA)and adaptive large neighborhood search(ALNS)were evaluated and compared against GUROBI®and each other through a set of real problem instances.Findings-The model is solved optimally for a small-sized dataset with exact algorithms;for solving a larger dataset,however,metaheuristic algorithms require significantly lesser time.For the problem addressed in this study,while the metaheuristic algorithms obtained the optimum solution in less than one minute,the solution in the GUROBI®solver was limited to one hour and three hours,and no solution could be obtained in this time interval.Originality/value-The VRPTW problem presented in this paper is a real-life problem.The vehicle fleet owned by the factory cannot be transported between certain suppliers,which complicates the solution of the problem.