"Real world combinatorial optimisation problems. A personnel rostering example" Greet Vanden Berghe, KaHo Sint-Lieven
Abstract:
Operational research provides a variety of powerful methods to solve combinatorial optimisation problems. Initially, general purpose exact methods such as linear and integer programming algorithms were developed. Despite their general character, the applicability of such approaches is limited due to the unacceptably long computation time for real world problems. Many special purpose algorithms and heuristics for particular problems became available but their real world applicability is poor due to restricted modelling power. Since the 1990's, local search and different metaheuristic approaches have become popular solution techniques to address diverse problems. They only require a limited implementation or configuration effort. Similarly, the quite recently introduced hyperheuristics are general purpose, rather easy to implement and their performance is suited for real world applicability.
The talk covers a brief overview of ongoing research at KaHo Sint-Lieven with respect to real world combinatorial optimisation problems. Personnel rostering serves as an example to introduce a generic domain model and a hyperheuristic approach for tackling real world instances.
Two OPTEC professors have been awarded three "Gouden Krijtjes", the yearly teaching awards given by the organization of engineering students (vtk). Prof. Lombaert was awarded the prize for the best course in civil engineering, and Prof. Diehl the prizes for the best professor and the best course in mathematical engineering (where he teaches numerical optimization). They received these awards at the yearly "proffentap" where experienced students taught them how to draft beer professionally.
