Abeer Bashab¹, Ashraf Osman Ibrahim^2,*, Ibrahim Abakar Tarigo Hashem³, Karan Aggarwal⁴, Fadhil Mukhlif⁵, Fuad A. Ghaleb⁵, Abdelzahir Abdelmaboud⁶

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.74, No.3, pp. 6461-6484, 2023, DOI:10.32604/cmc.2023.034051

Abstract University timetabling problems are a yearly challenging task and are faced repeatedly each semester. The problems are considered non-polynomial time (NP) and combinatorial optimization problems (COP), which means that they can be solved through optimization algorithms to produce the aspired optimal timetable. Several techniques have been used to solve university timetabling problems, and most of them use optimization techniques. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the most recent studies dealing with concepts, methodologies, optimization, benchmarks, and open issues of university timetabling problems. The comprehensive review starts by presenting the essence of university timetabling as NP-COP, defining and clarifying the… More >

Mutasem K. Alsmadi^1,*, Ghaith M. Jaradat², Malek Alzaqebah³, Ibrahim ALmarashdeh¹, Fahad A. Alghamdi¹, Rami Mustafa A. Mohammad⁴, Nahier Aldhafferi⁴, Abdullah Alqahtani⁴

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.72, No.1, pp. 1995-2014, 2022, DOI:10.32604/cmc.2022.025077

Abstract Timetabling problem is among the most difficult operational tasks and is an important step in raising industrial productivity, capability, and capacity. Such tasks are usually tackled using metaheuristics techniques that provide an intelligent way of suggesting solutions or decision-making. Swarm intelligence techniques including Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) have proved to be effective examples. Different recent experiments showed that the PSO algorithm is reliable for timetabling in many applications such as educational and personnel timetabling, machine scheduling, etc. However, having an optimal solution is extremely challenging but having a sub-optimal solution using heuristics or metaheuristics is guaranteed. This research paper seeks… More >

Mohammed Hadwan^1,2,3,*

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.71, No.3, pp. 5545-5559, 2022, DOI:10.32604/cmc.2022.024512

Abstract A real-life problem is the rostering of nurses at hospitals. It is a famous nondeterministic, polynomial time (NP) -hard combinatorial optimization problem. Handling the real-world nurse rostering problem (NRP) constraints in distributing workload equally between available nurses is still a difficult task to achieve. The international shortage of nurses, in addition to the spread of COVID-19, has made it more difficult to provide convenient rosters for nurses. Based on the literature, heuristic-based methods are the most commonly used methods to solve the NRP due to its computational complexity, especially for large rosters. Heuristic-based algorithms in general have problems striking the… More >

Abayomi-Alli A.¹, Misra S.^2,3, Fernández-Sanz L.⁴, Abayomi-Alli O.^2,*, Edun A. R.¹

Intelligent Automation & Soft Computing, Vol.26, No.3, pp. 385-396, 2020, DOI:10.32604/iasc.2020.013915

Abstract University timetable scheduling is a complicated constraint problem because educational institutions use timetables to maximize and optimize scarce resources, such as time and space. In this paper, an examination timetable system using Genetic Algorithm and Tabu Search memory with course sandwiching (GAT_CS), was developed for a large public University. The concept of Genetic Algorithm with Selection and Evaluation was implemented while the memory properties of Tabu Search and course sandwiching replaced Crossover and Mutation. The result showed that GAT_CS had hall allocation accuracies of 96.07% and 99.02%, unallocated score of 3.93% and 0.98% for first and second semesters, respectively. It… More >