Harmony Search Algorithm for Curriculum-Based Course Timetabling Problem

TL;DR

This paper applies the harmony search algorithm to curriculum-based course timetabling, detailing its process and evaluating its performance, but finds it does not outperform existing solutions without further modifications.

Contribution

The paper introduces a specific implementation of the harmony search algorithm for course timetabling and analyzes its effectiveness in this context.

Findings

Algorithm did not outperform existing best solutions

Memory consideration used the most frequent course number

Random and pitch adjustment procedures were incorporated

Abstract

In this paper, harmony search algorithm is applied to curriculum-based course timetabling. The implementation, specifically the process of improvisation consists of memory consideration, random consideration and pitch adjustment. In memory consideration, the value of the course number for new solution was selected from all other course number located in the same column of the Harmony Memory. This research used the highest occurrence of the course number to be scheduled in a new harmony. The remaining courses that have not been scheduled by memory consideration will go through random consideration, i.e. will select any feasible location available to be scheduled in the new harmony solution. Each course scheduled out of memory consideration is examined as to whether it should be pitch adjusted with probability of eight procedures. However, the algorithm produced results that were not comparatively better than those previously known as best solution. With proper modification in terms of the approach in this algorithm would make the algorithm perform better on curriculum-based course timetabling.