Skip to main content
Springer Nature Link
Log in

Bin packing: Maximizing the number of pieces packed

  • Published:
Acta Informatica Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

We consider a variant of the classical one-dimensional bin-packing problem: The number of bins is fixed and the object is to maximize the number of pieces packed from some given set. Both problems have applications in processor and storage allocation in computer systems in addition to a broad application in operations research.

It can easily be shown that both problems are NP-complete; our approach will be to propose and analyze very fast heuristics. We consider a class of algorithms and bound the performance of an arbitrary algorithm in that class. Finally we propose an algorithm, the first-fit-increasing algorithm, and analyze its running time and relative performance.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
$34.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Coffman, E.G., Garey, M.R., Johnson, D.S.: An application of bin-packing to multiprocessor scheduling. SIAM J. Comput. (to appear)

  2. Coffman, E.G., Jr., Leung, J.Y-T., Ting, D.: Bin-packing: Maximizing the number of pieces packed. Technical Report, Computer Science Dept., The Pennsylvania State Univ., 1976

  3. Graham, R.L.: Bounds on the performance of scheduling algorithms. In: Computer and job-shop scheduling theory (E.G. Coffman, ed.). New York:Wiley 1976

    Google Scholar 

  4. Johnson, D.S., Demers, A., Ullman, J.D., Garey, M.R., Graham, R.L.: Worst-case performance bounds for simple one-dimensional packing algorithms. SIAM J. Comput. 3 299–326 (1974)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Columbia University, 10027, New York, NY, USA

    E. G. Coffman Jr.

  2. Computer Science Department, Virginia Polytechnic University, 24060, Blacksburg, VA, USA

    J. Y. -T. Leung

  3. Bell Laboratories, 07733, Holmdel, NJ, USA

    D. W. Ting

Authors
  1. E. G. Coffman Jr.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. J. Y. -T. Leung
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. D. W. Ting
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

This research was supported in part by NSF Grant No. 28290

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Coffman, E.G., Leung, J.Y.T. & Ting, D.W. Bin packing: Maximizing the number of pieces packed. Acta Informatica 9, 263–271 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00288885

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00288885

Keywords