Skip to main content

Approximating an interval scheduling problem

  • Conference paper
  • First Online:

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNCS,volume 1444))

Abstract

In this paper we consider a general interval scheduling problem. We show that, unless P=NP, this maximization problem cannot be approximated in polynomial time within arbitrarily good precision. On the other hand, we present a simple greedy algorithm that delivers a solution with a value of at least 1/2 times the value of an optimal solution. Finally, we investigate the quality of an LP-relaxation of a formulation for the problem, by establishing an upper bound on the ratio between the value of the LP-relaxation and the value of an optimal solution.

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

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Arora, S., Lund, C, Motwani, R., Sudan, M., Szegedy, M.: Proof verification and hardness of approximation problems. Proceedings of the 33rd IEEE Symposium on the Foundations of Computer Science (1992) 14–23

    Google Scholar 

  • Carlisle, M.C., Lloyd, E.L.: On the k-coloring of intervals. Discrete Applied Mathematics 59 (1995) 225–235

    Article  MATH  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  • Carter, M.W., Tovey, C.A.: When is the classroom assignment problem hard? Operations Research 40 (1992) S28–S39

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Crescenzi, P., Kann, V.: A compendium of NP optimization problems, http://www.nada.kth.se/nada/~viggo/problemlist/compendium.html

    Google Scholar 

  • Faigle, U., Nawijn, W.M.: Note on scheduling intervals on-line. Discrete Applied Mathematics 58 (1995) 13–17

    Article  MATH  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  • Fischetti, M., Martello, S., Toth, P.: Approximation algorithms for fixed job schedule problems. Operations Research 40 (1992) S96–S108

    MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  • Garey, M.R., Johnson, D.S., Stockmeyer, L.: Some simplified NP-complete graph problems. Theoretical Computer Science 1 (1976) 237–267

    Article  MATH  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  • Hoogeveen, J.A., Schuurman, P., Woeginger, G.J.: Non-approximability results for scheduling problems with minsum criteria. Eindhoven University of Technology, COSOR Memorandum 97-24, to appear in the Proceedings of the 6th IPCO Conference, Houston.

    Google Scholar 

  • Keil, J.M.: On the complexity of scheduling tasks with discrete starting times. Operations Research Letters 12 (1992) 293–295

    Article  MATH  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  • Kolen, A.W.J., personal communication.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kroon, L.G., Salomon, M., van Wassenhove, L.N.: Exact and approximation algorithms for the tactical fixed interval scheduling problem. Operations Research 45 (1997) 624–638

    Article  MATH  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  • Nakajima, K., Hakimi, S.L.: Complexity results for scheduling tasks with discrete starting times. Journal of Algorithms 3 (1982) 344–361

    Article  MATH  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  • Papadimitriou, C.H., Yannakakis, M.: Optimization, approximation and complexity classes. Journal of Computer and System Sciences 43 (1991) 425–440

    Article  MATH  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  • Plummer, M.D.: Matching and vertex packing: how “hard” are they? Annals of Discrete Mathematics 55 (1993) 275–312

    Article  MATH  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Klaus Jansen José Rolim

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1998 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this paper

Cite this paper

Spieksma, F.C.R. (1998). Approximating an interval scheduling problem. In: Jansen, K., Rolim, J. (eds) Approximation Algorithms for Combinatiorial Optimization. APPROX 1998. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 1444. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/BFb0053973

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BFb0053973

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-64736-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-69067-2

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics