Developing a Model for the University Course Timetabling Problem: A Case Study

<table class="table-group" id="tab4"><tr><td><table class="table"><tr><td class="thead-hr" colspan="2"><hr/></td></tr><tr class="thead"><td class="align_left"><i>Decision variables</i></td><td class="align_center"><i>Description</i></td></tr><tr><td class="thead-hr" colspan="2"><hr/></td></tr><tr><td class="align_left"><span style="width: 23.1929ptpx;"><svg height="11.9087pt" id="M42" style="vertical-align:-3.2728pt" version="1.1" viewbox="-0.0498162 -8.6359 23.1929 11.9087" width="23.1929pt" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,0,0)"><path d="M748 650H522L515 622L546 617C580 611 587 604 565 575C518 513 469 451 419 393C376 474 349 534 330 580C318 609 325 612 361 618L383 622L392 650H151L144 622C214 616 224 612 257 543L360 327C270 218 187 124 159 95C106 40 92 34 26 28L17 0H252L259 28L236 31C189 37 188 47 209 78C249 136 308 210 377 294L478 79C494 44 487 37 449 32L418 28L409 0H673L680 28C596 34 591 39 554 116L436 361C526 469 574 521 604 553C659 612 669 614 739 622L748 650Z"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.0091,0,0,-0.0091,9.88,3.132)"><path d="M238 0V26C174 32 166 38 166 104V712C132 700 70 683 18 677V653C81 647 87 645 87 577V104C87 38 78 32 15 26V0H238Z"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.0091,0,0,-0.0091,12.073,3.132)"><path d="M298 36L289 62C276 55 253 45 228 45C202 45 169 60 169 141V397H276C289 405 292 426 282 437H169V574L155 576L90 509V437H45L17 408L21 397H90V107C90 28 125 -12 188 -12C198 -12 213 -8 230 1L298 36Z"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.0091,0,0,-0.0091,14.793,3.132)"><path d="M390 111C344 68 312 56 269 56C212 56 118 102 118 241C118 346 175 401 241 401C277 401 312 388 342 360C350 352 355 349 361 349C372 349 394 371 394 392C394 403 391 411 378 422C362 436 329 449 288 449H287C250 449 190 432 138 392C71 341 37 274 37 197C37 90 112 -12 238 -12C297 -12 363 32 407 90L390 111Z"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.0091,0,0,-0.0091,18.643,3.132)"><path d="M380 106C343 72 306 56 265 56C195 56 116 112 115 248C235 252 361 262 377 265C396 269 400 277 400 297C400 374 333 449 250 449H249C198 449 144 421 103 376S37 269 37 201C37 88 109 -12 232 -12C263 -12 332 6 395 84L380 106ZM225 412C281 412 315 364 314 312C314 297 308 292 290 292C232 290 176 289 120 289C135 370 180 412 225 412Z"></path></g></svg></span></td><td class="align_center">It equals 1 if lecture <i>l</i> is scheduled in time slot <i>t</i> by teacher <i>e</i> in classroom <i>c</i> and 0 otherwise</td></tr><tr><td class="align_left"><span style="width: 18.772ptpx;"><svg height="11.9087pt" id="M43" style="vertical-align:-3.2728pt" version="1.1" viewbox="-0.0498162 -8.6359 18.772 11.9087" width="18.772pt" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,0,0)"><path d="M584 650H137L131 622C214 614 217 612 200 521L125 127C109 41 101 35 23 28L17 0H288L294 28C201 35 193 42 209 128L242 309H348C440 309 442 300 443 226H471L510 422H482C452 354 449 348 357 348H251L295 575C302 609 304 615 338 615H426C502 615 517 604 526 581C534 560 536 524 537 492L565 494C574 554 583 631 584 650Z"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.0091,0,0,-0.0091,6.786,3.132)"><path d="M390 111C344 68 312 56 269 56C212 56 118 102 118 241C118 346 175 401 241 401C277 401 312 388 342 360C350 352 355 349 361 349C372 349 394 371 394 392C394 403 391 411 378 422C362 436 329 449 288 449H287C250 449 190 432 138 392C71 341 37 274 37 197C37 90 112 -12 238 -12C297 -12 363 32 407 90L390 111Z"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.0091,0,0,-0.0091,10.635,3.132)"><path d="M517 51L485 54C448 58 441 63 441 115V712C404 700 337 684 285 678V653C357 648 362 645 362 580V437C339 446 309 449 295 449C159 449 38 340 38 201C38 61 143 -12 223 -12C234 -12 261 -6 301 17L362 53V-12C420 9 495 22 517 26V51ZM362 85C338 67 301 51 266 51C201 51 128 109 128 228C128 373 212 411 259 411C296 411 338 395 362 360V85Z"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.0091,0,0,-0.0091,15.33,3.132)"><path d="M298 36L289 62C276 55 253 45 228 45C202 45 169 60 169 141V397H276C289 405 292 426 282 437H169V574L155 576L90 509V437H45L17 408L21 397H90V107C90 28 125 -12 188 -12C198 -12 213 -8 230 1L298 36Z"></path></g></svg></span></td><td class="align_center">Total number of students who move between classes <i>c</i> and <i>d</i> in period <i>t</i></td></tr><tr><td class="align_left"><span style="width: 20.1147ptpx;"><svg height="14.0004pt" id="M44" style="vertical-align:-5.3645pt" version="1.1" viewbox="-0.0498162 -8.6359 20.1147 14.0004" width="20.1147pt" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,0,0)"><path d="M715 650H476L470 622C550 619 562 610 562 570C562 536 553 481 535 384L523 321C485 121 408 37 283 37C178 37 99 109 134 297L178 532C193 612 199 616 278 622L284 650H29L23 622C105 616 109 609 94 532L48 291C23 160 51 83 98 40C143 -1 202 -16 260 -16C321 -16 387 3 439 49C509 111 542 204 563 312L577 384C595 479 608 533 619 569C629 603 637 620 709 622L715 650Z"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.0091,0,0,-0.0091,8.606,3.132)"><path d="M298 36L289 62C276 55 253 45 228 45C202 45 169 60 169 141V397H276C289 405 292 426 282 437H169V574L155 576L90 509V437H45L17 408L21 397H90V107C90 28 125 -12 188 -12C198 -12 213 -8 230 1L298 36Z"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.0091,0,0,-0.0091,11.382,3.132)"><path d="M319 325C317 349 306 409 297 431C277 440 250 449 209 449C117 449 57 389 57 319C57 243 122 209 182 182C232 159 261 135 261 91C261 48 227 21 190 21C130 21 85 79 68 145L41 140C41 104 51 36 58 22C75 7 121 -12 172 -12C252 -12 337 35 337 126C337 195 286 231 210 262C166 281 126 304 126 348C126 388 152 417 191 417C240 417 274 378 294 318L319 325Z"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.0091,0,0,-0.0091,14.676,3.132)"><path d="M169 380V459C122 440 66 423 24 416V392C86 384 90 382 90 317V-135C90 -201 81 -207 17 -213V-240H253V-213C176 -207 169 -201 169 -125V6C182 -1 208 -11 238 -12C368 12 487 109 487 260C487 358 421 449 310 449C298 449 279 444 261 433L169 380ZM169 346C196 367 237 389 269 389C341 389 403 329 403 221C403 109 347 37 263 37C228 37 191 53 169 76V346Z"></path></g></svg></span></td><td class="align_center">Percentage of group <i>s</i> students has been moved by using path <i>p</i> in period <i>t</i></td></tr><tr><td class="align_left"><span style="width: 34.6132ptpx;"><svg height="12.0262pt" id="M45" style="vertical-align:-3.272861pt" version="1.1" viewbox="-0.0498162 -8.75334 34.6132 12.0262" width="34.6132pt" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,0,0)"><path d="M592 498C586 556 582 629 581 675H560C545 656 537 650 510 650H115C87 650 74 652 60 675H40C38 620 33 555 28 495H57C69 539 77 568 89 585C102 607 122 616 205 616H267V123C267 44 259 34 168 28V0H454V28C360 34 352 44 352 123V616H422C498 616 514 608 531 584C542 568 552 543 562 495L592 498Z"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,6.821,0)"><path d="M433 39L423 65C413 59 399 54 387 54C370 54 352 69 352 114V299C352 352 342 392 307 422C285 440 255 449 225 449C168 437 102 399 75 379C56 365 44 353 44 339C44 315 69 296 87 296C101 296 111 303 116 319C124 349 133 371 145 385C156 397 171 404 190 404C241 404 275 364 275 291V274C253 256 180 229 120 209C65 190 39 159 39 110C39 47 88 -12 159 -12C189 -12 237 25 277 52C282 35 288 21 301 8C312 -3 333 -12 348 -12L433 39ZM275 84C256 65 221 48 195 48C164 48 124 73 124 124C124 161 146 180 185 198C206 208 254 229 275 240V84Z"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,12.41,0)"><path d="M181 342V451C133 431 89 419 40 411V388C98 381 102 377 102 311V104C102 38 95 32 33 26V0H263V26C186 32 181 38 181 104V287C203 343 235 372 261 372C277 372 289 366 304 352C310 346 318 345 330 350C349 359 362 379 362 399C362 422 338 449 304 449C256 449 213 393 183 342H181Z"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,17.063,0)"><path d="M390 111C344 68 312 56 269 56C212 56 118 102 118 241C118 346 175 401 241 401C277 401 312 388 342 360C350 352 355 349 361 349C372 349 394 371 394 392C394 403 391 411 378 422C362 436 329 449 288 449H287C250 449 190 432 138 392C71 341 37 274 37 197C37 90 112 -12 238 -12C297 -12 363 32 407 90L390 111Z"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.0091,0,0,-0.0091,22.653,3.132)"><path d="M390 111C344 68 312 56 269 56C212 56 118 102 118 241C118 346 175 401 241 401C277 401 312 388 342 360C350 352 355 349 361 349C372 349 394 371 394 392C394 403 391 411 378 422C362 436 329 449 288 449H287C250 449 190 432 138 392C71 341 37 274 37 197C37 90 112 -12 238 -12C297 -12 363 32 407 90L390 111Z"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.0091,0,0,-0.0091,26.502,3.132)"><path d="M517 51L485 54C448 58 441 63 441 115V712C404 700 337 684 285 678V653C357 648 362 645 362 580V437C339 446 309 449 295 449C159 449 38 340 38 201C38 61 143 -12 223 -12C234 -12 261 -6 301 17L362 53V-12C420 9 495 22 517 26V51ZM362 85C338 67 301 51 266 51C201 51 128 109 128 228C128 373 212 411 259 411C296 411 338 395 362 360V85Z"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.0091,0,0,-0.0091,31.197,3.132)"><path d="M298 36L289 62C276 55 253 45 228 45C202 45 169 60 169 141V397H276C289 405 292 426 282 437H169V574L155 576L90 509V437H45L17 408L21 397H90V107C90 28 125 -12 188 -12C198 -12 213 -8 230 1L298 36Z"></path></g></svg></span></td><td class="align_center">The travel time between classrooms <i>c</i> and <i>d</i> in period <i>t</i></td></tr><tr class="table-tr"><td colspan="2"><hr class="tbody-hr"/></td></tr></table></td></tr></table>

<div>Decision variables of the model.</div>

Complexity

tab4

Table 4

Table 4: Developing a Model for the University Course Timetabling Problem: A Case Study 