A Generic Object-Oriented Constraint-Based Model for University Course Timetabling

Abstract

Abstract. The construction of course timetables for academic institutions is a very difficult problem with a lot of constraints that have to be respected and a huge search space to be explored, even if the size of the problem input is not significantly large, due to the exponential number of the possible feasible timetables. On the other hand, the problem itself does not have a widely approved definition, since different variations of it are faced by different departments. However, there exists a set of entities and constraints among them which are common to every possible instantiation of the timetabling problem. In this paper, we present a model of this common core in terms of Ilog Solver, a constraint programming object-oriented C++ library, and we show the way this model may be extended to cover the needs of a specific academic unit.

Software engineering aspects of constraint-based timetabling—a case study

“…However, the problem solving approach is closer to what is discussed in [53], whereas the software engineering element of this goes in the direction of [56]. More discussions and references are provided below that closer to the sources of the problem solving paradigm adopted in this paper.…”

Multi Population Hybrid Genetic Algorithms for University Course Timetabling Problem

“…Each type has some advantages and disadvantages. Local area-based algorithms areSA [18], a very large neighborhood search [1], TS [19], and many more. Usually, local area-based algorithms focus on the exploitation rather than exploration, which means that they move in one direction without performing a wider scan of the search space.. Population-based algorithms start with a number of solutions and refining them to obtain global optimal solution (s) inthewhole search space.…”

An Automatic Course Scheduling Approach Using Instructors' Preferences

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