A metaheuristic scheduling procedure for resource-constrained projects with cash flows

Resource-constrained project scheduling problems with cash flows (RCPSPCF) are complex, combinatorial optimization problems. Many heuristics have been reported in the literature that produce reasonable schedules in limited project environments. However, the lack of a heuristic that dominates under differing project conditions can lead to a suboptimal choice of an appropriate heuristic for scheduling any given project. This may result in poor schedules and monetary losses. This paper reports on the application of the tabu search metaheuristic procedure for the RCPSPCF. Strategies for neighborhood generation and candidate selection that exploit the special features of the problem are combined with a simple multiheuristic start procedure. Extensive experimentation, with multiple data sets and comparison with an upper bound, indicates a significant improvement, both in project Net Present Value (NPV) as well as the number of projects, where the metaheuristic outperforms the best known heuristics in the literature. More specifically, this procedure produces the best schedules in over 85% of the projects tested, in contrast to the best single-pass heuristics which have been shown to dominate in at most 20% of the same cases. This iterative, general purpose heuristic is able to adapt significantly better to the complex interactions of the many critical parameters of the RCPSPCF than single-pass heuristics that use more specific information about each project environment. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Naval Research Logistics 46: 912–927, 1999     

Minimizing makespan in a multimode multiprocessor shop scheduling problem

We study the problem of multimode scheduling tasks on dedicated processors, with the objective of minimizing the maximum completion time. Each task can be undertaken in one among a set of predefined alternative modes, where each mode specifies a required set of dedicated processors and a processing time. At any time each processor can be used by a single task at most. General precedence constraints exist among tasks, and task preemption is not allowed. The problem consists of assigning a mode and a starting time to each task, respecting processor and precedence constraints, to minimize the time required to complete all tasks. The problem is NP-hard in several particular cases. In previous works, we studied algorithms in which a solution was obtained by means of an iterative procedure that combines mode assignment and sequencing phases separately. In this paper, we present some new heuristics where the decision on the mode assignment is taken on the basis of a partial schedule. Then, for each task, the mode selection and the starting time are chosen simultaneously considering the current processor usage. Different lower bounds are derived from a mathematical formulation of the problem and from a graph representation of a particular relaxed version of the problem. Heuristic solutions and lower bounds are evaluated on randomly generated test problems. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Naval Research Logistics 46: 893–911, 1999     

Probabilistic analysis of an asymptotically optimal solution for the completion time variance problem

Scheduling a set of n jobs on a single machine so as to minimize the completion time variance is a well‐known NP‐hard problem. In this paper, we propose a sequence, which can be constructed in O(n log n) time, as a solution for the problem. Our primary concern is to establish the asymptotical optimality of the sequence within the framework of probabilistic analysis. Our main result is that, when the processing times are randomly and independently drawn from the same uniform distribution, the sequence is asymptotically optimal in the sense that its relative error converges to zero in probability as n increases. Other theoretical results are also derived, including: (i) When the processing times follow a symmetric structure, the problem has 2^{⌊(n−1)/2⌋} optimal sequences, which include our proposed sequence and other heuristic sequences suggested in the literature; and (ii) when these 2^{⌊(n−1)/2⌋} sequences are used as approximate solutions for a general problem, our proposed sequence yields the best approximation (in an average sense) while another sequence, which is commonly believed to be a good approximation in the literature, is interestingly the worst. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Naval Research Logistics 46: 373–398, 1999     

Minimizing total completion time in two-processor task systems with prespecified processor allocations

We consider the problem of scheduling multiprocessor tasks with prespecified processor allocations to minimize the total completion time. The complexity of both preemptive and nonpreemptive cases of the two-processor problem are studied. We show that the preemptive case is solvable in O(n log n) time. In the nonpreemptive case, we prove that the problem is NP-hard in the strong sense, which answers an open question mentioned in Hoogeveen, van de Velde, and Veltman (1994). An efficient heuristic is also developed for this case. The relative error of this heuristic is at most 100%. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Naval Research Logistics 45: 231–242, 1998     

Scheduling deteriorating jobs to minimize makespan

We consider a single-machine problem of scheduling n independent jobs to minimize makespan, in which the processing time of job J_j grows by w_j with each time unit its start is delayed beyond a given common critical date d. This processing time is p_j if J_j starts by d. We show that this problem is NP-hard, give a pseudopolynomial algorithm that runs in time and O(nd) space, and develop a branch-and-bound algorithm that solves instances with up to 100 jobs in a reasonable amount of time. We also introduce the case of bounded deterioration, where the processing time of a job grows no further if the job starts after a common maximum deterioration date D > d. For this case, we give two pseudopolynomial time algorithms: one runs in O(n²d(D − d) time and O(nd(D − d)) space, the other runs in p_j)²) time and p_j) space. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Naval Research Logistics 45: 511–523, 1998     

多UCAV协同控制中的任务分配模型及算法

任务分配是多UCAV协同控制的核心和有效保证。分析了影响目标价值毁伤、UCAV损耗、任务消耗时间等三项关键战技指标的因素,综合考虑实战中多UCAV同时攻击同一目标和使用软杀伤武器这两种典型情况对UCAV执行任务的影响,建立了针对攻击任务的多UCAV协同任务分配模型,并应用粒子群算法求解。仿真结果验证了模型的合理性和算法的有效性。     

基于运输问题的国防动员任务规划模型研究

国防动员任务规划为执行动员保障任务提供明确的方案计划,是高效有序开展国防动员协同保障的重要前提和关键环节,既要综合考虑各类影响因素,又要确保对接结果适时、适量、适地、适度.本文分析了动员任务规划的现实问题,通过梳理实际开展动员任务规划的阶段步骤,明确了动员任务规划模型的研究内涵和边界;在此基础上,建立了国防动员任务规划...     

面向卫星的在轨服务任务规划方法

针对空间在轨服务日趋成熟以及在轨服务现实需求增长的背景,以在轨服务航天器为研究对象,研究面向卫星的在轨服务任务规划问题,探讨如何合理安排与调配在轨服务资源。将问题分解为在轨服务资源分配和在轨服务路径规划两层,并建立双层优化数学模型。设计在轨服务任务规划算法求解问题,包括基于多种群并行进化的混沌遗传算法和基于全局坐标转换的NSGA-Ⅱ+GSDE算法,并通过仿真结果对比分析,验证算法的可行性和有效性。     

对美国“忠诚僚机”的思考及对策建议

用无人机担任僚机已成为战斗机编组作战领域技战术研究的新热点。本文通过跟踪美国“忠诚僚机”项目的试验进展,了解所用无人僚机和战斗机平台的性能及特点,把握长僚机编组作战对无人僚机的基本指标需求。在此基础上,结合美军分布式作战概念的演变、智能空战技术研究和现有装备改装趋势等因素,分析了“忠诚僚机”项目在推进空中分布式作战概念实用化、提高长僚机编组作战效能以及形成规模化无人僚机装备方面可能产生的影响。基于上述分析,得出无人僚机与有人战斗机编组作战是军队需要面对的新型作战样式这一结论,并结合国内空战理论研究、军用无人机制造能力以及反无人机装备的发展情况,给出整合资源发展优势无人机、以硬杀伤和软杀伤多种形式构建有效反制体系的对策建议。     

并行时域自适应算法在电大目标瞬态散射中的应用

基于电磁场时域积分方程(TDIE)数值技术计算复杂目标的瞬态散射特性,其计算量和内存需求大,采用时域自适应算法(TDAIM)降低了TDIE的计算规模。在研究TDAIM并行算法的基础上,开发了基于.NET Remoting的电磁场分布式数值计算方案。数值结果表明,该方案显著提高了TDAIM的计算效率,为解决电大目标瞬态电磁散射问题提供了一条有效途径。