A population-based approach to sequential ordering problems
Date
2007-03
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch
Abstract
This project was initiated to develop a new and novel approach to address complex sequencing
problems, in particular, an alternative method was developed to find solutions to the sequential
ordering problem.
The sequential ordering problem is concerned with the arrangement of a number of elements in a
sequence that respects a number of precedence constraints and results in the lowest overall cost.
A precedence constraint requires that some element will occur before another in the solution
sequence, and the cost of a solution is determined by summing the independent individual costs
that are incurred when progressing from one specific element in the solution sequence to
another.
Instances of this problem are regularly found in the practice of industrial engineering in problems
such as the routing of a delivery vehicle, the scheduling of jobs on a machine and the preparation
of project plans with limited resources.
The sequential ordering problem is known to be complex in the sense that as the size of problem
instances increases, the best-known time required to find a guaranteed optimal solution increases
exponentially.
Description
Thesis (MScEng (Industrial Engineering))--University of Stellenbosch, 2007.
Keywords
Dissertations -- Industrial engineering, Theses -- Industrial engineering, Business logistics, Industrial management, Theory of constraints (Management)