Novel multi-objective resource allocation and activity scheduling for fourth party logistics

In order to reduce logistic costs, the scheduling of logistic tasks and resources for fourth party logistics (4PL) is studied. Current scheduling models only consider costs and finish times of each logistic resource or task. Not generally considered are the joint cost and time between two adjacent activities for a resource to process and two sequential activities of a task for two different resources to process are ignored. Therefore, a multi-objective scheduling model aiming at minimizing total operation costs, finishing time and tardiness of all logistic tasks in a 4PL is proposed. Not only are the joint cost and time of logistic activities between two adjacent activities and two sequential activities included but the constraints of resource time windows and due date of tasks are also considered. An improved nondominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-II) is presented to solve the model. The validity of the proposed model and algorithm are verified by a corresponding case study.     

A bottleneck Steiner tree based multi-objective location model and intelligent optimization of emergency logistics systems

Logistics networks could be very fragile in a global environment due to unexpected emergencies such as earthquakes, tsunamis and terrorists attacks. Therefore, the research on emergency logistics systems is extremely significant. The dynamic changes, quick responses and unpredictable events are main features of the location problems in emergency logistics systems, which make them quite different from the traditional logistics networks. The previous single-objective location models and solution algorithms do not capture the new characteristics that arise from the emergency logistics systems. This paper first proposes a new node-weighted bottleneck Steiner tree based multi-objective location optimization model for the emergency logistics systems. Then, a cellular stochastic diffusion search based intelligent algorithm is introduced to solve the proposed model. Under different emergent scenarios, several examples are used to illustrate the application of the proposed model. Numerical experiments show that the proposed approach is effective and efficient for solving the location problem of emergency logistics systems.     

Study on an improved adaptive PSO algorithm for solving multi-objective gate assignment

Gate is a key resource in the airport, which can realize rapid and safe docking, ensure the effective connection between flights and improve the capacity and service efficiency of airport. The minimum walking distances of passengers, the minimum idle time variance of each gate, the minimum number of flights at parking apron and the most reasonable utilization of large gates are selected as the optimization objectives, then an efficient multi-objective optimization model of gate assignment problem is proposed in this paper. Then an improved adaptive particle swarm optimization(DOADAPO) algorithm based on making full use of the advantages of Alpha-stable distribution and dynamic fractional calculus is deeply studied. The dynamic fractional calculus with memory characteristic is used to reflect the trajectory information of particle updating in order to improve the convergence speed. The Alpha-stable distribution theory is used to replace the uniform distribution in order to escape from the local minima in a certain probability and improve the global search ability. Next, the DOADAPO algorithm is used to solve the constructed multi-objective optimization model of gate assignment in order to fast and effectively assign the gates to different flights in different time. Finally, the actual flight data in one domestic airport is used to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method. The experiment results show that the DOADAPO algorithm can improve the convergence speed and enhance the local search ability and global search ability, and the multi-objective optimization model of gate assignment can improve the comprehensive service of gate assignment. It can effectively provide a valuable reference for assigning the gates in hub airport.     

一种用于求解多目标组合优化的混合遗传算法

为高效求解多目标组合优化问题 ,提出一种进化计算与局部搜索结合的多目标算法。此算法基于个体排序数和密度值进行适应度赋值 ,采用非劣解并行局部搜索策略 ,在解的适应度赋值和局部搜索过程中使用 Pa-reto支配的概念。实验结果表明 ,新算法不仅提高了优化搜索的效率 ,且能够找到更多的近似 Pareto最优解。     

A multi-objective co-evolutionary algorithm for energy-efficient scheduling on a green data center

Nowadays, the environment protection and the energy crisis prompt more computing centers and data centers to use the green renewable energy in their power supply. To improve the efficiency of the renewable energy utilization and the task implementation, the computational tasks of data center should match the renewable energy supply. This paper considers a multi-objective energy-efficient task scheduling problem on a green data center partially powered by the renewable energy, where the computing nodes of the data center are DVFS-enabled. An enhanced multi-objective co-evolutionary algorithm, called OL-PICEA-g, is proposed for solving the problem, where the PICEA-g algorithm with the generalized opposition based learning is applied to search the suitable computing node, supply voltage and clock frequency for the task computation, and the smart time scheduling strategy is employed to determine the start and finish time of the task on the chosen node. In the experiments, the proposed OL-PICEA-g algorithm is compared with the PICEA-g algorithm, the smart time scheduling strategy is compared with two other scheduling strategies, i.e., Green-Oriented Scheduling Strategy and Time-Oriented Scheduling Strategy, different parameters are also tested on the randomly generated instances. Experimental results confirm the superiority and effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.     

Optimizing reliability-based robust design model using multi-objective genetic algorithm

Reliability-based robust design optimization (RBRDO) is one of the most important tools developed in recent years to improve both quality and reliability of the products at an early design stage. This paper presents a comparative study of different formulation approaches of RBRDO models and their performances. The paper also proposes an evolutionary multi-objective genetic algorithm (MOGA) to one of the promising hybrid quality loss functions (HQLF)-based RBRDO model. The enhanced effectiveness of the HQLF-based RBRDO model is demonstrated by optimizing suitable examples.     

A Pareto-optimal genetic algorithm for warehouse multi-objective optimization

The automated warehouse management requires to fulfill objectives that are usually conflicting with each other. The decisions taken must ensure optimized usage of resources, cost reduction and better customer service. The warehouse replenishment task is a typical example of multi-objective optimization. In this paper, a genetic algorithm with a new crossover operator is developed to solve the replenishment problem. This algorithm is applied to real warehouse data and produces Pareto-optimal permutations of the stored products. A fuzzy rule-base is proposed to increase the diversity of the optimal solutions.     

A genetic algorithm approach for multi-objective optimization of supply chain networks

Supply chain network (SCN) design is to provide an optimal platform for efficient and effective supply chain management. It is an important and strategic operations management problem in supply chain management, and usually involves multiple and conflicting objectives such as cost, service level, resource utilization, etc. This paper proposes a new solution procedure based on genetic algorithms to find the set of Pareto-optimal solutions for multi-objective SCN design problem. To deal with multi-objective and enable the decision maker for evaluating a greater number of alternative solutions, two different weight approaches are implemented in the proposed solution procedure. An experimental study using actual data from a company, which is a producer of plastic products in Turkey, is carried out into two stages. While the effects of weight approaches on the performance of proposed solution procedure are investigated in the first stage, the proposed solution procedure and simulated annealing are compared according to quality of Pareto-optimal solutions in the second stage.     

An effective hybrid particle swarm optimization algorithm for multi-objective flexible job-shop scheduling problem

Flexible job-shop scheduling problem (FJSP) is an extension of the classical job-shop scheduling problem. Although the traditional optimization algorithms could obtain preferable results in solving the mono-objective FJSP. However, they are very difficult to solve multi-objective FJSP very well. In this paper, a particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm and a tabu search (TS) algorithm are combined to solve the multi-objective FJSP with several conflicting and incommensurable objectives. PSO which integrates local search and global search scheme possesses high search efficiency. And, TS is a meta-heuristic which is designed for finding a near optimal solution of combinatorial optimization problems. Through reasonably hybridizing the two optimization algorithms, an effective hybrid approach for the multi-objective FJSP has been proposed. The computational results have proved that the proposed hybrid algorithm is an efficient and effective approach to solve the multi-objective FJSP, especially for the problems on a large scale.     

An interval algorithm for multi-objective optimization

This paper presents an interval algorithm for solving multi-objective optimization problems. Similar to other interval optimization techniques, [see Hansen and Walster (2004)], the interval algorithm presented here is guaranteed to capture all solutions, namely all points on the Pareto front. This algorithm is a hybrid method consisting of local gradient-based and global direct comparison components. A series of example problems covering convex, nonconvex, and multimodal Pareto fronts is used to demonstrate the method.     

An improved intelligent water drops algorithm for solving multi-objective job shop scheduling

Multi-objective job shop scheduling (MOJSS) problems can be found in various application areas. The efficient solution of MOJSS problems has received continuous attention. In this research, a new meta-heuristic algorithm, namely the Intelligent Water Drops (IWD) algorithm is customized for solving the MOJSS problem. The optimization objective of MOJSS in this research is to find the best compromising solutions (Pareto non-dominance set) considering multiple criteria, namely makespan, tardiness and mean flow time of the schedules. MOJSS-IWD, which is a modified version of the original IWD algorithm, is proposed to solve the MOJSS problem. A scoring function which gives each schedule a score based on its multiple criteria values is embedded into the MOJSS-IWD’s local search process. Experimental evaluation shows that the customized IWD algorithm can identify the Pareto non-dominance schedules efficiently.     

两阶段式的物流配送路径优化方法

根据组合优化理论,充分利用遗传算法、蚁群算法的优化点,提出了一种两阶段式的物流配送路径优化方法(GA-ACO)。利用遗传算法迅速找到物流配送路径优化问题的初始解,初始解生成蚁群算法的初始信息素分布,通过蚁群算法找到物流配送路径的最优方案。采用实例对GA-ACO的性能进行测试,测试结果表明,GA-ACO可以获得较好的物流配送路径优化方案,是一种高效率、鲁棒性好的物流配送路径优化问题求解方法。     

A multi-objective evolutionary algorithm guided by directed search for dynamic scheduling

This paper considers dynamic multi-objective machine scheduling problems in response to continuous arrival of new jobs, under the assumption that jobs can be rejected and job processing time is controllable. The operational cost and the cost of deviation from the baseline schedule need to be optimized simultaneously. To solve these dynamic scheduling problems, a directed search strategy (DSS) is introduced into the elitist non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-II) to enhance its capability of tracking changing optimums while maintaining fast convergence. The DSS consists of a population re-initialization mechanism (PRM) to be adopted upon the arrival of new jobs and an offspring generation mechanism (OGM) during evolutionary optimization. PRM re-initializes the population by repairing the non-dominated solutions obtained before the disturbances occur, modifying randomly generated solutions according to the structural properties, as well as randomly generating solutions. OGM generates offspring individuals by fine-tuning a few randomly selected individuals in the parent population, employing intermediate crossover in combination with Gaussian mutations to generate offspring, and using intermediate crossover together with a differential evolution based mutation operator. Both PRM and OGM aim to strike a good balance between exploration and exploitation in solving the dynamic multi-objective scheduling problem. Comparative studies are performed on a variety of problem instances of different sizes and with different changing dynamics. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed DSS is effective in handling the dynamic scheduling problems under investigation.     

A multi-objective programming model for scheduling emergency medicine residents

Scheduling emergency medicine residents (EMRs) is a complex task, which considers a large number of rules (often conflicting) related to various aspects such as limits on the number of consecutive work hours, number of day and night shifts that should be worked by each resident, resident staffing requirements according to seniority levels for the day and night shifts, restrictions on the number of consecutive day and night shifts assigned, vacation periods, weekend off requests, and fair distribution of responsibilities among the residents. Emergency rooms (ERs) are stressful workplaces, and in addition shift work is well-known to be more demanding than regular daytime work. For this reason, preparing schedules that suit the working rules for EMRs is especially important for reducing the negative impact on shift workers physiologically, psychologically, and socially. In this paper, we present a goal programming (GP) model that accommodates both hard and soft constraints for a monthly planning horizon. The hard constraints should be adhered to strictly, whereas the soft constraints can be violated when necessary. The relative importance values of the soft constraints have been computed by the analytical hierarchy process (AHP), which are used as coefficients of the deviations from the soft constraints in the objective function. The model has been tested in the ER of a major local university hospital. The main conclusions of the study are that problems of realistic size can be solved quickly and the generated schedules have very high qualities compared to the manually prepared schedules, which require a lot of effort and time from the chief resident who is responsible for this duty.     

A robust scheduling method based on a multi-objective immune algorithm

A robust scheduling method is proposed to solve uncertain scheduling problems. An uncertain scheduling problem is modeled by a set of workflow models, and then a scheduling scheme (solution) of the problem can be evaluated by workflow simulations executed with the workflow models in the set. A multi-objective immune algorithm is presented to find Pareto optimal robust scheduling schemes that have good performance for each model in the set. The two optimization objectives for scheduling schemes are the indices of the optimality and robustness of the scheduling results. An antibody represents a resource allocation scheme, and the methods of antibody coding and decoding are designed to deal with resource conflicts during workflow simulations. Experimental tests show that the proposed method can generate a robust scheduling scheme that is insensitive to uncertain scheduling environments.     

水上石油物流分拨中心选址模型及其遗传算法

我国水上石油物流网络错综复杂,合理配置和选择水上石油物流分拨中心具有重要的理论价值和现实意义。文中给出了我国水上石油物流分拨的网络架构,建立了相应的石油物流分拨中心选址的数学模型,针对模型的特点提出了遗传算法的解决策略,验证了该模型和方法的正确性,该方法也适用于其他种类大规模物流分拨中心的优化问题。     

An effective ant colony optimization algorithm for multi-objective job-shop scheduling with equal-size lot-splitting

This paper proposes several novel hybrid ant colony optimization (ACO)-based algorithms to resolve multi-objective job-shop scheduling problem with equal-size lot splitting. The main issue discussed in this paper is lot-splitting of jobs and tradeoff between lot-splitting costs and makespan. One of the disadvantages of ACO is its uncertainty on time of convergence. In order to enrich search patterns of ACO and improve its performance, five enhancements are made in the proposed algorithms including: A new type of pheromone and greedy heuristic function; Three new functions of state transition rules; A nimble local search algorithm for the improvements of solution quality; Mutation mechanism for divisive searching; A particle swarm optimization (PSO)-based algorithm for adaptive tuning of parameters. The objectives that are used to measure the quality of the generated schedules are weighted-sum of makespan, tardiness of jobs and lot-splitting cost. The developed algorithms are analyzed extensively on real-world data obtained from a printing company and simulated data. A mathematical programming model is developed and paired-samples t-tests are performed between obtained solutions of mathematical programming model and proposed algorithms in order to verify effectiveness of proposed algorithms.     

A fuzzy multi-objective covering-based vehicle location model for emergency services

Timeliness is one of the most important objectives that reflect the quality of emergency services such as ambulance and firefighting systems. To provide timeliness, system administrators may increase the number of service vehicles available. Unfortunately, increasing the number of vehicles is generally impossible due to capital constraints. In such a case, the efficient deployment of emergency service vehicles becomes a crucial issue. In this paper, a multi-objective covering-based emergency vehicle location model is proposed. The objectives considered in the model are maximization of the population covered by one vehicle, maximization of the population with backup coverage and increasing the service level by minimizing the total travel distance from locations at a distance bigger than a prespecified distance standard for all zones. Model applications with different solution approaches such as lexicographic linear programming and fuzzy goal programming (FGP) are provided through numerical illustrations to demonstrate the applicability of the model. Numerical results indicate that the model generates satisfactory solutions at an acceptable achievement level of desired goals.     

Restarted Iterated Pareto Greedy algorithm for multi-objective flowshop scheduling problems

Multi-objective optimisation problems have seen a large impulse in the last decades. Many new techniques for solving distinct variants of multi-objective problems have been proposed. Production scheduling, as with other operations management fields, is no different. The flowshop problem is among the most widely studied scheduling settings. Recently, the Iterated Greedy methodology for solving the single-objective version of the flowshop problem has produced state-of-the-art results. This paper proposes a new algorithm based on Iterated Greedy technique for solving the multi-objective permutation flowshop problem. This algorithm is characterised by an effective initialisation of the population, management of the Pareto front, and a specially tailored local search, among other things. The proposed multi-objective Iterated Greedy method is shown to outperform other recent approaches in comprehensive computational and statistical tests that comprise a large number of instances with objectives involving makespan, tardiness and flowtime. Lastly, we use a novel graphical tool to compare the performances of stochastic Pareto fronts based on Empirical Attainment Functions.     

An effective hybrid tabu search algorithm for multi-objective flexible job-shop scheduling problems

This paper proposes an effective hybrid tabu search algorithm (HTSA) to solve the flexible job-shop scheduling problem. Three minimization objectives – the maximum completion time (makespan), the total workload of machines and the workload of the critical machine are considered simultaneously. In this study, a tabu search (TS) algorithm with an effective neighborhood structure combining two adaptive rules is developed, which constructs improved local search in the machine assignment module. Then, a well-designed left-shift decoding function is defined to transform a solution to an active schedule. In addition, a variable neighborhood search (VNS) algorithm integrating three insert and swap neighborhood structures based on public critical block theory is presented to perform local search in the operation scheduling component. The proposed HTSA is tested on sets of the well-known benchmark instances. The statistical analysis of performance comparisons shows that the proposed HTSA is superior to four existing algorithms including the AL + CGA algorithm by Kacem, Hammadi, and Borne (2002b), the PSO + SA algorithm by Xia and Wu (2005), the PSO + TS algorithm by Zhang, Shao, Li, and Gao (2009), and the Xing’s algorithm by Xing, Chen, and Yang (2009a) in terms of both solution quality and efficiency.