A Pre-Selection-Based Ant Colony System for Integrated Resources Scheduling Problem at Marine Container Terminal

Marine container terminal(MCT)plays a key role in the marine intelligent transportation system and international logistics system.However,the efficiency of resource scheduling significantly influences the operation performance of MCT.To solve the practical resource scheduling problem(RSP)in MCT efficiently,this paper has contributions to both the problem model and the algorithm design.Firstly,in the problem model,different from most of the existing studies that only consider scheduling part of the resources in MCT,we propose a unified mathematical model for formulating an integrated RSP.The new integrated RSP model allocates and schedules multiple MCT resources simultaneously by taking the total cost minimization as the objective.Secondly,in the algorithm design,a pre-selection-based ant colony system(PACS)approach is proposed based on graphic structure solution representation and a pre-selection strategy.On the one hand,as the RSP can be formulated as the shortest path problem on the directed complete graph,the graphic structure is proposed to represent the solution encoding to consider multiple constraints and multiple factors of the RSP,which effectively avoids the generation of infeasible solutions.On the other hand,the pre-selection strategy aims to reduce the computational burden of PACS and to fast obtain a higher-quality solution.To evaluate the performance of the proposed novel PACS in solving the new integrated RSP model,a set of test cases with different sizes is conducted.Experimental results and comparisons show the effectiveness and efficiency of the PACS algorithm,which can significantly outperform other state-of-the-art algorithms.

Deep Reinforcement Learning Solves Job-shop Scheduling Problems

To solve the sparse reward problem of job-shop scheduling by deep reinforcement learning,a deep reinforcement learning framework considering sparse reward problem is proposed.The job shop scheduling problem is transformed into Markov decision process,and six state features are designed to improve the state feature representation by using two-way scheduling method,including four state features that distinguish the optimal action and two state features that are related to the learning goal.An extended variant of graph isomorphic network GIN++is used to encode disjunction graphs to improve the performance and generalization ability of the model.Through iterative greedy algorithm,random strategy is generated as the initial strategy,and the action with the maximum information gain is selected to expand it to optimize the exploration ability of Actor-Critic algorithm.Through validation of the trained policy model on multiple public test data sets and comparison with other advanced DRL methods and scheduling rules,the proposed method reduces the minimum average gap by 3.49%,5.31%and 4.16%,respectively,compared with the priority rule-based method,and 5.34%compared with the learning-based method.11.97%and 5.02%,effectively improving the accuracy of DRL to solve the approximate solution of JSSP minimum completion time.

Energy-Saving Distributed Flexible Job Shop Scheduling Optimization with Dual Resource Constraints Based on Integrated Q-Learning Multi-Objective Grey Wolf Optimizer

The distributed flexible job shop scheduling problem(DFJSP)has attracted great attention with the growth of the global manufacturing industry.General DFJSP research only considers machine constraints and ignores worker constraints.As one critical factor of production,effective utilization of worker resources can increase productivity.Meanwhile,energy consumption is a growing concern due to the increasingly serious environmental issues.Therefore,the distributed flexible job shop scheduling problem with dual resource constraints(DFJSP-DRC)for minimizing makespan and total energy consumption is studied in this paper.To solve the problem,we present a multi-objective mathematical model for DFJSP-DRC and propose a Q-learning-based multi-objective grey wolf optimizer(Q-MOGWO).In Q-MOGWO,high-quality initial solutions are generated by a hybrid initialization strategy,and an improved active decoding strategy is designed to obtain the scheduling schemes.To further enhance the local search capability and expand the solution space,two wolf predation strategies and three critical factory neighborhood structures based on Q-learning are proposed.These strategies and structures enable Q-MOGWO to explore the solution space more efficiently and thus find better Pareto solutions.The effectiveness of Q-MOGWO in addressing DFJSP-DRC is verified through comparison with four algorithms using 45 instances.The results reveal that Q-MOGWO outperforms comparison algorithms in terms of solution quality.

Modified bottleneck-based heuristic for large-scale job-shop scheduling problems with a single bottleneck

A modified bottleneck-based （MB） heuristic for large-scale job-shop scheduling problems with a welldefined bottleneck is suggested, which is simpler but more tailored than the shifting bottleneck （SB） procedure. In this algorithm, the bottleneck is first scheduled optimally while the non-bottleneck machines are subordinated around the solutions of the bottleneck schedule by some effective dispatching rules. Computational results indicate that the MB heuristic can achieve a better tradeoff between solution quality and computational time compared to SB procedure for medium-size problems. Furthermore, it can obtain a good solution in a short time for large-scale jobshop scheduling problems.

A Modi ed Iterated Greedy Algorithm for Flexible Job Shop Scheduling Problem

The flexible job shop scheduling problem(FJSP) is considered as an important problem in the modern manufacturing system. It is known to be an NP-hard problem. Most of the algorithms used in solving FJSP problem are categorized as metaheuristic methods. Some of these methods normally consume more CPU time and some other methods are more complicated which make them di cult to code and not easy to reproduce. This paper proposes a modified iterated greedy(IG) algorithm to deal with FJSP problem in order to provide a simpler metaheuristic, which is easier to code and to reproduce than some other much more complex methods. This is done by separating the classical IG into two phases. Each phase is used to solve a sub-problem of the FJSP: sequencing and routing sub-problems. A set of dispatching rules are employed in the proposed algorithm for the sequencing and machine selection in the construction phase of the solution. To evaluate the performance of proposed algorithm, some experiments including some famous FJSP benchmarks have been conducted. By compared with other algorithms, the experimental results show that the presented algorithm is competitive and able to find global optimum for most instances. The simplicity of the proposed IG provides an e ective method that is also easy to apply and consumes less CPU time in solving the FJSP problem.

APPLYING PARTICLE SWARM OPTIMIZATION TO JOB-SHOPSCHEDULING PROBLEM

A new heuristic algorithm is proposed for the problem of finding the minimummakespan in the job-shop scheduling problem. The new algorithm is based on the principles ofparticle swarm optimization (PSO). PSO employs a collaborative population-based search, which isinspired by the social behavior of bird flocking. It combines local search (by self experience) andglobal search (by neighboring experience), possessing high search efficiency. Simulated annealing(SA) employs certain probability to avoid becoming trapped in a local optimum and the search processcan be controlled by the cooling schedule. By reasonably combining these two different searchalgorithms, a general, fast and easily implemented hybrid optimization algorithm, named HPSO, isdeveloped. The effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed PSO-based algorithm are demonstrated byapplying it to some benchmark job-shop scheduling problems and comparing results with otheralgorithms in literature. Comparing results indicate that PSO-based algorithm is a viable andeffective approach for the job-shop scheduling problem.

Clonal Selection Based Memetic Algorithm for Job Shop Scheduling Problems

A clonal selection based memetic algorithm is proposed for solving job shop scheduling problems in this paper. In the proposed algorithm, the clonal selection and the local search mechanism are designed to enhance exploration and exploitation. In the clonal selection mechanism, clonal selection, hypermutation and receptor edit theories are presented to construct an evolutionary searching mechanism which is used for exploration. In the local search mechanism, a simulated annealing local search algorithm based on Nowicki and Smutnicki＇s neighborhood is presented to exploit local optima. The proposed algorithm is examined using some well-known benchmark problems. Numerical results validate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.

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.

Solving resource availability cost problem in project scheduling by pseudo particle swarm optimization

This paper considers a project scheduling problem with the objective of minimizing resource availability costs appealed to finish al activities before the deadline. There are finish-start type precedence relations among the activities which require some kinds of renewable resources. We predigest the process of sol-ving the resource availability cost problem （RACP） by using start time of each activity to code the schedule. Then, a novel heuris-tic algorithm is proposed to make the process of looking for the best solution efficiently. And then pseudo particle swarm optimiza-tion （PPSO） combined with PSO and path relinking procedure is presented to solve the RACP. Final y, comparative computational experiments are designed and the computational results show that the proposed method is very effective to solve RACP.

Collision-free Scheduling of Multi-bridge Machining Systems： A Colored Traveling Salesman Problem-based Approach

Multi-bridge machining systems(MBMS) have gained wide applications in industry due to their high production capacity and efficiency. They contain multiple bridge machines working in parallel within their partially overlapping workspaces.Their scheduling problems can be abstracted into a serial-colored travelling salesman problem in which each salesman has some exclusive cities and some cities shared with its neighbor(s). To solve it, we develop a greedy algorithm that selects a neighboring city satisfying proximity. The algorithm allows a salesman to select randomly its shared cities and runs accordingly many times. It can thus be used to solve job scheduling problems for MBMS. Subsequently, a collision-free scheduling method is proposed to address both job scheduling and collision resolution issues of MBMS. It is an extension of the greedy algorithm by introducing time window constraints and a collision resolution mechanism. Thus, the augmented greedy algorithm can try its best to select stepwise a job for an individual machine such that no time overlaps exist between it and the job sequence of the neighboring machine dealt in the corresponding overlapping workspace; and remove such a time overlap only when it is inevitable. Finally, we conduct a case study of a large triplebridge waterjet cutting system by applying the proposed method.

Scheduling Rules Based on Gene Expression Programming for Resource-Constrained Project Scheduling Problem

In order to minimize the project duration of resourceconstrained project scheduling problem( RCPSP), a gene expression programming-based scheduling rule( GEP-SR) method is proposed to automatically discover and select the effective scheduling rules( SRs) which are constructed using the project status and attributes of the activities. SRs are represented by the chromosomes of GEP, and an improved parallel schedule generation scheme( IPSGS) is used to transform the SRs into explicit schedules. The framework of GEP-SR for RCPSP is designed,and the effectiveness of the GEP-SR approach is demonstrated by comparing with other methods on the same instances.

Solving flexible job shop scheduling problem by a multi-swarm collaborative genetic algorithm

The flexible job shop scheduling problem(FJSP),which is NP-hard,widely exists in many manufacturing industries.It is very hard to be solved.A multi-swarm collaborative genetic algorithm(MSCGA)based on the collaborative optimization algorithm is proposed for the FJSP.Multi-population structure is used to independently evolve two sub-problems of the FJSP in the MSCGA.Good operators are adopted and designed to ensure this algorithm to achieve a good performance.Some famous FJSP benchmarks are chosen to evaluate the effectiveness of the MSCGA.The adaptability and superiority of the proposed method are demonstrated by comparing with other reported algorithms.

Solving Job-Shop Scheduling Problem Based on Improved Adaptive Particle Swarm Optimization Algorithm

An improved adaptive particle swarm optimization(IAPSO)algorithm is presented for solving the minimum makespan problem of job shop scheduling problem(JSP).Inspired by hormone modulation mechanism,an adaptive hormonal factor(HF),composed of an adaptive local hormonal factor(H l)and an adaptive global hormonal factor(H g),is devised to strengthen the information connection between particles.Using HF,each particle of the swarm can adjust its position self-adaptively to avoid premature phenomena and reach better solution.The computational results validate the effectiveness and stability of the proposed IAPSO,which can not only find optimal or close-to-optimal solutions but also obtain both better and more stability results than the existing particle swarm optimization(PSO)algorithms.

Hybrid artificial immune system and extremal optimization algorithm for permutation flowshop scheduling problem

The permutation flowshop scheduling problem （PFSP） is one of the most well-known and well-studied production scheduling problems with strong industrial background. This paper presents a new hybrid optimization algorithm which combines the strong global search ability of artificial immune system （AIS） with a strong local search ability of extremal optimization （EO） algorithm. The proposed algorithm is applied to a set of benchmark problems with a makespan criterion. Performance of the algorithm is evaluated. Comparison results indicate that this new method is an effective and competitive approach to the PFSP.

Applying Job Shop Scheduling to SMEs Manufacturing Platform to Revitalize B2B Relationship

A small and medium enterprises(SMEs)manufacturing platform aims to perform as a significant revenue to SMEs and vendors by providing scheduling and monitoring capabilities.The optimal job shop scheduling is generated by utilizing the scheduling system of the platform,and a minimum production time,i.e.,makespan decides whether the scheduling is optimal or not.This scheduling result allows manufacturers to achieve high productivity,energy savings,and customer satisfaction.Manufacturing in Industry 4.0 requires dynamic,uncertain,complex production environments,and customer-centered services.This paper proposes a novel method for solving the difficulties of the SMEs manufacturing by applying and implementing the job shop scheduling system on a SMEs manufacturing platform.The primary purpose of the SMEs manufacturing platform is to improve the B2B relationship between manufacturing companies and vendors.The platform also serves qualified and satisfactory production opportunities for buyers and producers by meeting two key factors:early delivery date and fulfillment of processing as many orders as possible.The genetic algorithm(GA)-based scheduling method results indicated that the proposed platform enables SME manufacturers to obtain optimized schedules by solving the job shop scheduling problem(JSSP)by comparing with the real-world data from a textile weaving factory in South Korea.The proposed platform will provide producers with an optimal production schedule,introduce new producers to buyers,and eventually foster relationships and mutual economic interests.

Scheduling problem for hot-rolling seamless steel tube production

Taking the seamless tube plant of Baoshan Iron & Steel Complex in China as the background,we analyze the characters of hot rolling seamless steel tube:multi varieties,low volume,complicated production process,flexible production routes.Then integrated scheduling problem for hot rolling seamless steel tube production is studied,which covers two key points;order-grouping problem and solution method for flowshop/jobshop scheduling problem.On the basis of these two problems,integrated scheduling decision system is developed.The design idea,function flow sheet,data processing method,and functional module of visualized human-computer interactive scheduling system implemented in seamless steel tube plant of Shanghai Baoshan Iron & Steel Complex are described into detail.Compared with manual system,the performance of system shows the applicability and superiority in several criteria.

Exact Algorithm to Solve the Minimum Cost Multi-Constrained Multicast Routing Problem

The optimal solution of the multi-constrained QoS multicast routing problem is a tree-like hierarchical structure in the topology graph. This multicast route contains a feasible path from the source node to each of the destinations with respect to a set of QoS constraints while minimizing a cost function. Often, it is a tree. In other cases, the hierarchies can return several times to nodes and links of the topology graph. Similarly to Steiner problem, finding such a structure is an NP-hard problem. The usual tree and topology enumeration algorithms applied for the Steiner problem cannot be used to solve the addressed problem. In this paper, we propose an exact algorithm based on the Branch and Bound principle and improved by the Lookahead technique. We show relevant properties of the optimum hierarchy permitting efficient pruning of the search space. To our knowledge, our paper is the first to propose an exact algorithm for this non-trivial multi-constrained optimal multicast route computation. Simulations illustrate the efficiency of the proposed pruning operations. The analysis of the execution time shows that in simple topologies and with tight QoS constraints the exact algorithm requires relatively little execution time. With loose constraints the computation time cannot be tolerated even for off-line route computation. In these cases, the solution is close to a Steiner tree and heuristics can be applied. These results can serve as basis for the design of efficient, polynomial-time routing algorithms.

Improvement of Lagrangian relaxation performance for open pit mines constrained long-term production scheduling problem

Constrained long-term production scheduling problem(CLTPSP) of open pit mines has been extensively studied in the past few decades due to its wide application in mining projects and the computational challenges it poses become an NP-hard problem.This problem has major practical significance because the effectiveness of the schedules obtained has strong economical impact for any mining project.Despite of the rapid theoretical and technical advances in this field,heuristics is still the only viable approach for large scale industrial applications.This work presents an approach combining genetic algorithms(GAs) and Lagrangian relaxation(LR) to optimally determine the CLTPSP of open pit mines.GAs are stochastic,parallel search algorithms based on the natural selection and the process of evolution.LR method is known for handling large-scale separable problems; however,the convergence to the optimal solution can be slow.The proposed Lagrangian relaxation and genetic algorithms(LR-GAs) combines genetic algorithms into Lagrangian relaxation method to update the Lagrangian multipliers.This approach leads to improve the performance of Lagrangian relaxation method in solving CLTPSP.Numerical results demonstrate that the LR method using GAs to improve its performance speeding up the convergence.Subsequently,highly near-optimal solution to the CLTPSP can be achieved by the LR-GAs.

An effective discrete artificial bee colony algorithm for flow shop scheduling problem with intermediate buffers

An effective discrete artificial bee colony(DABC) algorithm is proposed for the flow shop scheduling problem with intermediate buffers(IBFSP) in order to minimize the maximum completion time(i.e makespan). The effective combination of the insertion and swap operator is applied to producing neighborhood individual at the employed bee phase. The tournament selection is adopted to avoid falling into local optima, while, the optimized insert operator embeds in onlooker bee phase for further searching the neighborhood solution to enhance the local search ability of algorithm. The tournament selection with size 2 is again applied and a better selected solution will be performed destruction and construction of iterated greedy(IG) algorithm, and then the result replaces the worse one. Simulation results show that our algorithm has a better performance compared with the HDDE and CHS which were proposed recently. It provides the better known solutions for the makespan criterion to flow shop scheduling problem with limited buffers for the Car benchmark by Carlier and Rec benchmark by Reeves. The convergence curves show that the algorithm not only has faster convergence speed but also has better convergence value.

An Improved Ant Colony Algorithm for a Single-machine Scheduling Problem with Setup Times

Motivated by industrial applications we study a single-machine scheduling problem in which all the jobs are mutu- ally independent and available at time zero.The machine processes the jobs sequentially and it is not idle if there is any job to be pro- cessed.The operation of each job cannot be interrupted.The machine cannot process more than one job at a time.A setup time is needed if the machine switches from one type of job to another.The objective is to find an optimal schedule with the minimal total jobs’completion time.While the sum of jobs’processing time is always a constant,the objective is to minimize the sum of setup times.Ant colony optimization(ACO)is a meta-heuristic that has recently been applied to scheduling problem.In this paper we propose an improved ACO-Branching Ant Colony with Dynamic Perturbation(DPBAC)algorithm for the single-machine schedul- ing problem.DPBAC improves traditional ACO in following aspects:introducing Branching Method to choose starting points;im- proving state transition rules;introducing Mutation Method to shorten tours;improving pheromone updating rules and introduc- ing Conditional Dynamic Perturbation Strategy.Computational results show that DPBAC algorithm is superior to the traditional ACO algorithm.