A Path Relinking Approach for the Generalized Assignment Problem

Mutsunori Yagiura, Toshihide Ibaraki and Fred Glover
Abstract:
The generalized assignment problem is a classical combinatorial optimization problem known to be NP-hard. It can model a variety of real world applications in location, allocation, machine assignment, and supply chains. Researchers have studied the problem since the late 1960s, and computer codes for practical applications emerged in the early 1970s. We propose a new algorithm for this problem which proves to be more effective than previously existing methods. The algorithm features a path relinking approach, which is a mechanism for generating new solutions by combining two or more reference solutions. Computational comparisons on benchmark instances show that the method is not only effective in general, but is especially effective for the types D and E instances of the generalized assignment problem, which are known to be quite difficult.

Proc. International Symposium on Scheduling, Japan, June 4-6, 2002, pp. 105-108.

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