Multiobjective Resource-Constrained Project Scheduling with a Time-Varying Number of Tasks

Abstract EN

In resource-constrained project scheduling (RCPS) problems, ongoing tasks are restricted to utilizing a fixed number of resources.

This paper investigates a dynamic version of the RCPS problem where the number of tasks varies in time.

Our previous work investigated a technique called mapping of task IDs for centroid-based approach with random immigrants (McBAR) that was used to solve the dynamic problem.

However, the solution-searching ability of McBAR was investigated over only a few instances of the dynamic problem.

As a consequence, only a small number of characteristics of McBAR, under the dynamics of the RCPS problem, were found.

Further, only a few techniques were compared to McBAR with respect to its solution-searching ability for solving the dynamic problem.

In this paper, (a) the significance of the subalgorithms of McBAR is investigated by comparing McBAR to several other techniques; and (b) the scope of investigation in the previous work is extended.

In particular, McBAR is compared to a technique called, Estimation Distribution Algorithm (EDA).

As with McBAR, EDA is applied to solve the dynamic problem, an application that is unique in the literature.