Genetic algorithm combined with tabu search for the job shop scheduling problem with setup times

Abstract

We face the Job Shop Scheduling Problem with Sequence Dependent Setup Times and makespan minimization. To solve this problem we propose a new approach that combines a Genetic Algorithm with a Tabu Search method. We report results from an experimental study across conventional benchmark instances showing that this hybrid approach outperforms the current state-of-the-art methods. © 2009 Springer Berlin Heidelberg.