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Three heuristic procedures for the stochastic, two-machine flow shop problem

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Abstract

Although the deterministic flow shop model is one of the most widely studied problems in scheduling theory, its stochastic analog has remained a challenge. No computationally efficient optimization procedure exists even for the general two-machine version. In this paper, we describe three heuristic procedures for the stochastic, two-machine flow shop problem and report on computational experiments that compare their effectiveness. We focus on heuristic procedures that can be adapted for dispatching without the need for computer simulation or computer-based search. We find that all three procedures are capable of quickly generating solutions close to the best known sequences, which were obtained by extensive search.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Tuck School, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA

    Kenneth R. Baker

  2. College of Engineering, American University of Armenia, Yerevan, Armenia

    Dan Trietsch

Authors
  1. Kenneth R. Baker
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  2. Dan Trietsch
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Correspondence to Kenneth R. Baker.

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Baker, K.R., Trietsch, D. Three heuristic procedures for the stochastic, two-machine flow shop problem. J Sched 14, 445–454 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10951-010-0219-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10951-010-0219-4

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