Mathematical Aspects Of Scheduling And Applications

Mathematical Aspects of Scheduling and Applications

Mathematical Aspects of Scheduling and Applications addresses the perennial problem of optimal utilization of finite resources in the accomplishment of an assortment of tasks or objectives. The book provides ways to uncover the core of these problems, presents them in mathematical terms, and devises mathematical solutions for them. The book consists of 12 chapters. Chapter 1 deals with network problems, the shortest path problem, and applications to control theory. Chapter 2 stresses the role and use of computers based on the decision-making problems outlined in the preceding chapter. Chapter 3 classifies scheduling problems and their solution approaches. Chapters 4 to 6 discuss machine sequencing problems and techniques. Chapter 5 tackles capacity expansion problems and introduces the technique of embedded state space dynamic programming for reducing dimensionality so that larger problems can be solved. Chapter 6 then examines an important class of network problems with non-serial phase structures and exploits dimensionality reduction techniques, such as the pseudo-stage concept, branch compression, and optimal order elimination methods to solve large-scale, nonlinear network scheduling problems. Chapters 7 to 11 consider the flow-shop scheduling problem under different objectives and constraints. Chapter 12 discusses the job-shop-scheduling problem. The book will be useful to economists, planners, and graduate students in the fields of mathematics, operations research, management science, computer science, and engineering.

Mathematical Aspects of Scheduling and Applications

Scheduling Theory. Single-Stage Systems

Scheduling theory is an important branch of operations research. Problems studied within the framework of that theory have numerous applications in various fields of human activity. As an independent discipline scheduling theory appeared in the middle of the fifties, and has attracted the attention of researchers in many countries. In the Soviet Union, research in this direction has been mainly related to production scheduling, especially to the development of automated systems for production control. In 1975 Nauka ("Science") Publishers, Moscow, issued two books providing systematic descriptions of scheduling theory. The first one was the Russian translation of the classical book Theory of Scheduling by American mathematicians R. W. Conway, W. L. Maxwell and L. W. Miller. The other one was the book Introduction to Scheduling Theory by Soviet mathematicians V. S. Tanaev and V. V. Shkurba. These books well complement each other. Both. books well represent major results known by that time, contain an exhaustive bibliography on the subject. Thus, the books, as well as the Russian translation of Computer and Job-Shop Scheduling Theory edited by E. G. Coffman, Jr., (Nauka, 1984) have contributed to the development of scheduling theory in the Soviet Union. Many different models, the large number of new results make it difficult for the researchers who work in related fields to follow the fast development of scheduling theory and to master new methods and approaches quickly.