A Memetic Algorithm for University Exam Timetabling

The scheduling of exams in institutions of higher education is known to be a highly constrained problem. The advent of modularity in many institutions in the UK has resulted in a significant increase in its complexity, imposing even more difficulties on university administrators who must find a solution, often without any computer aid. Of the many methodsthat have beenapplied to solving the problem automatically, evolutionary techniques have shown much promise due to their general purpose optimisation capabilities. However, it has alsobeen found thathybrid evolutionary methods can yield even better results. In this paper we present such a hybrid approach in the form of an evolutionary algorithm that incorporates local search methods (known as a memetic algorithm).

• Type: Conference
• Year: 1995
• Where: PATAT
• Authors: Edmund K. Burke, James P. Newall, Rupert F. Weare
• Keywords: Education, Evolutionary, Local Search Methods, PATAT 1995, Purpose Optimisation Capabilities