Hypercube framework for ACO applied to timetabling

Abstract

We present a resolution technique of the University course Timetabling problem (UCTP), this technique is based in the implementation of Hypercube framework using the Max-Min Ant System. We presented the structure of the problem and the design of resolution using this framework. A simplification of the UCTP problem is used, involving three types of hard restrictions and three types of soft restrictions. We solve experimental instances and competition instances the results are presented of comparative form to other techniques. We presented an appropriate construction graph and pheromone matrix representation. A representative instance is solved in addition to the schedules of the school of Computer science engineering of the Catholic University of Valparaiso. The results obtained for this instance appear. Finally the conclusions are given. © 2006 International Federation for Information Processing.