Makespan minimization on single batch-processing machine via ant colony optimization

This paper investigates the problem of minimizing makespan on a single batch-processing machine, and the machine can process multiple jobs simultaneously. Each job is characterized by release time, processing time, and job size. We established a mixed integer programming model and proposed a valid lower bound for this problem. By introducing a definition of waste and idle space (WIS), this problem is proven to be equivalent to minimizing the WIS for the schedule. Since the problem is NP-hard, we proposed a heuristic and an ant colony optimization (ACO) algorithm based on the theorems presented. A candidate list strategy and a new method to construct heuristic information were introduced for the ACO approach to achieve a satisfactory solution in a reasonable computational time. Through extensive computational experiments, appropriate ACO parameter values were chosen and the effectiveness of the proposed algorithms was evaluated by solution quality and run time. The results showed that the ACO algorithm combined with the candidate list was more robust and consistently outperformed genetic algorithm (GA), CPLEX, and the other two heuristics, especially for large job instances.     

An improved ant colony optimization for scheduling identical parallel batching machines with arbitrary job sizes

In this paper we consider the problem of scheduling parallel batching machines with jobs of arbitrary sizes. The machines have identical capacity of size and processing velocity. The jobs are processed in batches given that the total size of jobs in a batch cannot exceed the machine capacity. Once a batch starts processing, no interruption is allowed until all the jobs are completed. First we present a mixed integer programming model of the problem. We show the computational complexity of the problem and optimality properties. Then we propose a novel ant colony optimization method where the Metropolis Criterion is used to select the paths of ants to overcome the immature convergence. Finally, we generate different scales of instances to test the performance. The computational results show the effectiveness of the algorithm, especially for large-scale instances.     

Constrained binary artificial bee colony to minimize the makespan for single machine batch processing with non-identical job sizes

This paper proposes an artificial bee colony approach to minimize the makespan for a single batch-processing machine. The single batch-processing problem is characterized by discontinuity in the objective function and having integer variables. Since the problem under study is NP-hard, an artificial bee colony approach is proposed. The penalty function method is used to convert the constrained problem to unconstrained problem, which is then solved by the ABC algorithm. A procedure to generate initial solutions is presented, which is based on filling partially filled batches first. The analysis in the article shows that the colony size, the value of the penalty parameter, the penalty function iteration, the ABC iteration, and maximum trials per food source all have a significant effect on the performance of the ABC algorithm; however, no pattern can be established.     

Scheduling unrelated parallel batch processing machines with non-identical job sizes

Scheduling unrelated parallel batch processing machines to minimize makespan is studied in this paper. Jobs with non-identical sizes are scheduled on batch processing machines that can process several jobs as a batch as long as the machine capacity is not violated. Several heuristics based on best fit longest processing time (BFLPT) in two groups are proposed to solve the problem. A lower bound is also proved to evaluate the quality of the heuristics. Computational experiments were undertaken. These showed that J_SC-BFLPT, considering both load balance of machines and job processing times, was robust and outperformed other heuristics for most of the problem categories.     

Reliability optimization of topology communication network design using an improved ant colony optimization

Network design problem is a well-known NP-hard problem which involves the selection of a subset of possible links or a network topology in order to minimize the network cost subjected to the reliability constraint. To overcome the problem, this paper proposes a new efficiency algorithm based on the conventional ant colony optimization (ACO) to solve the communication network design when considering both economics and reliability. The proposed method is called improved ant colony optimizations (IACO) which introduces two addition techniques in order to improve the search process, i.e. neighborhood search and re-initialization process. To show its efficiency, IACO is applied to test with three different topology network systems and its results are compared with those obtained results from the conventional approaches, i.e. genetic algorithm (GA), tabu search algorithm (TSA) and ACO. Simulation results, obtained these test problems with various constraints, shown that the proposed approach is superior to the conventional algorithms both solution quality and computational time.     

A branch and price algorithm to minimize makespan on a single batch processing machine with non-identical job sizes

In this paper, we consider the scheduling problem on a single batch processing machine with non-identical job sizes; in which the machine has a limited capacity and can process a group of jobs simultaneously as a batch. The processing time of a batch is the longest processing time of all jobs in the batch. The objective is to minimize the makespan. We formulate the problem using Dantzig–Wolfe decomposition as a set partitioning problem. Based on the set partitioning formulation, we present a tight lower bound using column generation method. A heuristic algorithm is also developed to generate the basic solution in the column generation method. A branch and price algorithm which combines the column generation technique with branch and bound method is then presented to obtain the optimal solution of the problem. The efficiency of the proposed branch and price algorithm is ultimately compared to the branch and bound algorithm from the literature, based on the generated sample problems.     

An effective hybrid multi-objective genetic algorithm for bi-criteria scheduling on a single batch processing machine with non-identical job sizes

This paper addresses the problem of scheduling jobs with non-identical sizes on a single batch processing machine. A batch processing machine is one which can process multiple jobs simultaneously as a batch as long as the total size of jobs being processed does not exceed the machine capacity. The batch processing time is equal to the longest processing time among all jobs in the batch. For the simultaneous minimization of the bi-criteria of makespan and maximum tardiness, we propose two different multi-objective genetic algorithms based on different representation schemes. While the first algorithm do search via generating sequences of jobs using genetic operators and then batching jobs keeping their order in the sequence, the second algorithm uses the idea of generating batches of jobs directly using genetic operators and ensures feasibility through using heuristic procedures. The type of representation used in the second algorithm allows introducing heuristics with the ability of biasing the search towards each objective and also allows hybridization with a local search heuristic that gives the ability of finding Pareto-optimal or locally efficient Pareto-solutions. Computational results show that the non-dominated solutions obtained by the latter algorithm are very superior in closeness to the true Pareto-optimal solutions and to keep diversity in the obtained Pareto-set, as the problem size increases.     

Scheduling unrelated parallel batch processing machines with non-identical job sizes and unequal ready times

This research analyzes the problem of scheduling a set of n jobs with arbitrary job sizes and non-zero ready times on a set of m unrelated parallel batch processing machines so as to minimize the makespan. Unrelated parallel machine is a generalization of the identical parallel processing machines and is closer to real-world production systems. Each machine can accommodate and process several jobs simultaneously as a batch as long as the machine capacity is not exceeded. The batch processing time and the batch ready time are respectively equal to the largest processing time and the largest ready time among all the jobs in the batch. Motivated by the computational complexity and the practical relevance of the problem, we present several heuristics based on first-fit and best-fit earliest job ready time rules. We also present a mixed integer programming model for the problem and a lower bound to evaluate the quality of the heuristics. The small computational effort of deterministic heuristics, which is valuable in some practical applications, is also one of the reasons that motivates this study. The results show that the heuristic proposed in this paper has a superior performance compared to the heuristics based on ideas proposed in the literature.     

Data mining with an ant colony optimization algorithm

The paper proposes an algorithm for data mining called Ant-Miner (ant-colony-based data miner). The goal of Ant-Miner is to extract classification rules from data. The algorithm is inspired by both research on the behavior of real ant colonies and some data mining concepts as well as principles. We compare the performance of Ant-Miner with CN2, a well-known data mining algorithm for classification, in six public domain data sets. The results provide evidence that: 1) Ant-Miner is competitive with CN2 with respect to predictive accuracy, and 2) the rule lists discovered by Ant-Miner are considerably simpler (smaller) than those discovered by CN2     

改进蚁群算法在支持向量机中的应用

提出一种改进的蚁群算法(ACA)来优化支持向量机(SVM)训练参数.该改进算法建立于每只蚂蚁只根据参数β在其前次迭代的最优解附近搜索,可快速减少搜索范围.参数β的提出可以保证蚁群快速地达到最优解.仿真结果表明:使用该方法优化SVM参数可有效避免陷入局部极值,提高收敛速度.     

The reliable design of one-piece flow production system using fuzzy ant colony optimization

In this work, one-piece flow production system is designed with the purpose of ensuring just-in-time production. Three approaches are applied to achieve the goal: adopting straightforward schedule policies, relaxing the Takt time and decreasing the risk of machine failures and operator mistakes. Consequently, a multi-objective design model is proposed, whose aim is to minimize cycle time, changeover count, cell load variation and the number of cells and maximize the extent to which items are completed in a cell. The fuzzy ant colony optimization (FACO) is also presented to solve the formulated problem. In FACO, the fuzzy logic controller (FLC) is used to adapt the evaporated and deposited value of pheromone trail based on the ant's fitness and pheromone trail age. Furthermore, domain knowledge of facility layout, generated based on the travel chart method, is also adaptively injected to improve the performance of FACO. The proposed method is evaluated with the real-world data and experimental results demonstrate that our method outperforms many other methods in efficiency, solution quality and facilitation measures.     

An improved ant colony optimization algorithm for solving a complex combinatorial optimization problem

This paper presents an improved ant colony optimization algorithm (IACO) for solving mobile agent routing problem. The ants cooperate using an indirect form of communication mediated by pheromone trails of scent and find the best solution to their tasks guided by both information (exploitation) which has been acquired and search (exploration) of the new route. Therefore the premature convergence probability of the system is lower. The IACO can solve successfully the mobile agent routing problem, and this method has some excellent properties of robustness, self-adaptation, parallelism, and positive feedback process owing to introducing the genetic operator into this algorithm and modifying the global updating rules. The experimental results have demonstrated that IACO has much higher convergence speed than that of genetic algorithm (GA), simulated annealing (SA), and basic ant colony algorithm, and can jump over the region of the local minimum, and escape from the trap of a local minimum successfully and achieve the best solutions. Therefore the quality of the solution is improved, and the whole system robustness is enhanced. The algorithm has been successfully integrated into our simulated humanoid robot system which won the fourth place of RoboCup2008 World Competition. The results of the proposed algorithm are found to be satisfactory.     

Scheduling jobs on a single serial-batching machine with dynamic job arrivals and multiple job types

This paper investigates a scheduling model with certain co-existing features of serial-batching, dynamic job arrival, multi-types of job, and setup time. In this proposed model, the jobs of all types are first partitioned into serial batches, which are then processed on a single serial-batching machine with an independent constant setup time for each new batch. In order to solve this scheduling problem, we divide it into two phases based on job arrival times, and we also derive and prove certain constructive properties for these two phases. Relying on these properties, we develop a two-phase hybrid algorithm (TPHA). In addition, a valid lower bound of the problem is also derived. This is used to validate the quality of the proposed algorithm. Computational experiments, both with small- and large-scale problems, are performed in order to evaluate the performance of TPHA. The computational results indicate that TPHA outperforms seven other heuristic algorithms. For all test problems of different job sizes, the average gap percentage between the makespan, obtained using TPHA, and the lower bound does not exceed 5.41 %.     

Optimal groundwater monitoring design using an ant colony optimization paradigm

Groundwater long-term monitoring (LTM) is required to assess the performance of groundwater remediation and human being health risk at post-closure sites where groundwater contaminants are still present. The large number of sampling locations can make the LTM costly, especially since LTM may be required over several decades. An optimization algorithm based on the ant colony optimization (ACO) paradigm is developed to minimize the overall data loss due to fewer sampling locations for a given number of monitoring wells. The ACO method is inspired by the ability of an ant colony to identify the shortest route between their nest and a food source. The developed ACO-LTM algorithm is applied to a field site with an existing 30-well LTM network. When compared to the results identified through complete enumeration, the ACO-LTM solutions are globally optimal for the cases with 21 to 27 remaining wells. Results from the developed ACO-LTM algorithm provide a proof-of-concept for the application of the general ACO analogy to the groundwater LTM sampling location optimization problem. A major contribution of this work is the successful development of an efficient and effective stochastic search algorithm for solving the LTM optimization problem based on the ACO paradigm.     

Inducing decision trees with an ant colony optimization algorithm

Decision trees have been widely used in data mining and machine learning as a comprehensible knowledge representation. While ant colony optimization (ACO) algorithms have been successfully applied to extract classification rules, decision tree induction with ACO algorithms remains an almost unexplored research area. In this paper we propose a novel ACO algorithm to induce decision trees, combining commonly used strategies from both traditional decision tree induction algorithms and ACO. The proposed algorithm is compared against three decision tree induction algorithms, namely C4.5, CART and cACDT, in 22 publicly available data sets. The results show that the predictive accuracy of the proposed algorithm is statistically significantly higher than the accuracy of both C4.5 and CART, which are well-known conventional algorithms for decision tree induction, and the accuracy of the ACO-based cACDT decision tree algorithm.     

基于MapReduce改进蚁群算法的Web服务组合优化

对于Web服务组合优化的问题,蚁群算法的求解主要是串行进行,收敛时间长,容易收敛于非最优解。在云计算环境中,将蚁群算法并行化,可对Web服务组合优化问题进行分布式并行求解。根据多目标优化模型给出基于多信息素的蚁群算法,使用MapReduce并行编程框架对蚁群算法中最耗时的部分——蚂蚁独立求解的过程并行化,给出了使用MapReduce改进的基于多信息素的蚁群优化算法,有效地对Web服务组合进行全局优化,弥补传统的蚁群算法求解过程的缺点。     

改进蚁群算法在云计算任务调度中的应用

针对云计算中的任务调度问题,提出了一种任务调度的增强蚁群算法(task scheduling-enhanced ant colony optimization,TS-EACO).算法兼顾了任务调度的最短完成时间和负载平衡,同时参考了近年来蚁群算法的各种改进,创新地将任务在虚拟机上的一次分配作为蚂蚁的搜索对象.实验在CloudSim仿真平台下进行,并将仿真结果与Round Robin算法和标准蚁群算法进行比较,结果表明TS-EACO算法的任务执行时间和负载平衡性能均优于这两种算法.     

Optimal job sequence determination and operation machine allocation in flexible manufacturing systems: an approach using adaptive hierarchical ant colony algorithm

In this paper, an Adaptive Hierarchical Ant Colony Optimization (AHACO) has been proposed to resolve the traditional machine loading problem in Flexible Manufacturing Systems (FMS). Machine loading is one of the most important issues that is interlinked with the efficiency and utilization of FMS. The machine loading problem is formulated in order to minimize the system unbalance and maximize the throughput, considering the job sequencing, optional machines and technological constraints. The performance of proposed AHACO has been tested over a number of benchmark problems taken from the literature. Computational results indicate that the proposed algorithm is more effective and produces promising results as compared to the existing solution methodologies in the literature. The evaluation and comparison of system efficiency and system utilization justifies the supremacy of the algorithm. Further, results obtained from the proposed algorithm have been compared with well known random search algorithm viz. genetic algorithm, simulated annealing, artificial Immune system, simple ant colony optimization, tabu search etc. In addition, the algorithm has been tested over a randomly generated problem set of varying complexities; the results validate the robustness and scalability of the algorithm utilizing the concepts of ‘heuristic gap’ and ANOVA analysis.     

An improved approximation algorithm for single machine scheduling with job delivery

In single machine scheduling with release times and job delivery, jobs are processed on a single machine and then delivered by a capacitated vehicle to a single customer. Only one vehicle is employed to deliver these jobs. The vehicle can deliver at most c jobs in a shipment. The delivery completion time of a job is defined as the time in which the delivery batch containing the job is delivered to the customer and the vehicle returns to the machine. The objective is to minimize the makespan, i.e., the maximum delivery completion time of the jobs. We provide an approximation algorithm for this problem which is better than that given in the literature, improving the performance ratio from 5/3 to 3/2.