Paper #534

Title:

Assigning proctors to exams with scatter search

Authors:

Helena Ramalhinho-Lourenço, Rafael Martí and Manuel Laguna

Date:

February 2001

Abstract:

In this paper we present an algorithm to assign proctors to exams. This NP-hard problem is related to the generalized assignment problem with multiple objectives. The problem consists of assigning teaching assistants to proctor final exams at a university. We formulate this problem as a multiobjective integer program (IP) with a preference function and a workload-fairness function. We then consider also a weighted objective that combines both functions. We develop a scatter search procedure and compare its outcome with solutions found by solving the IP model with CPLEX 6.5. Our test problems are real instances from a University in Spain.

Keywords:

Multiobjective combinatorial optimization, metaheuristics, scatter search

JEL codes:

C61, C63, D83

Area of Research:

Operations Management

Published in:

Computing Tools for Modeling, Optimization and Simulation, edited by M. Laguna and José L. González Velarde, Kluwer Academic Publishers, (2000), pp. 215-228

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