An Approximation Algorithm for the Minimum Latency Set Cover Problem

The input to the minimum latency set cover problem (MLSC) consists of a set of jobs and a set of tools. Each job j needs a specific subset Sj of the tools in order to be processed. It is possible to install a single tool in every time unit. Once the entire subset Sj has been installed, job j can be processed instantly. The problem is to determine an order of job installations which minimizes the weighted sum of job completion times. We show that this problem is NP-hard in the strong sense and provide an e-approximation algorithm. Our approximation algorithm uses a framework of approximation algorithms which were developed for the minimum latency problem.3

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2005
• Where: ESA
• Authors: Refael Hassin, Asaf Levin
• Keywords: ESA 2005, Latency Set Cover, Minimum Latency, Subset Sj