Multi-period dynamic technician routing and scheduling problems with experience-based service times and stochastic customers

Abstract

ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Many important people in my life have contributions to my thesis, I owe my sincere gratitude to all those people who love and help me during my Ph.D. study and my life. I am also fortunate to have them in my life and enjoy such a wonderful and unforgettable five-year time in Iowa City. I would like to express my deepest appreciation to my parents Xiujie Zhang and Hong Chen. I am fortunate enough to have their support and love through all my life. Their constant love, support, and strength have enabled the completion of this thesis. I dedicate this thesis to my parents. My deepest gratitude is to my advisor Dr. Barrett Thomas. From the first year, he guided me to the field of research, starting with countless revisions of an one-paragraph problem description. He always gave me freedom to explore on my won and provided constructive criticism when I make mistakes. He taught me how to think and express my ideas. His support and patience helped survive those tough times and complete this thesis. I will do my best to be an advisor like Barry. My co-advisor Dr. Mike Hewitt always came up with brilliant ideas when we were stuck in the middle of our research problems. I really appreciate for his insight and direction when I encounter obstacles in my research. I am also grateful to him for the encouragement during my preparation for the qualification exams.