Assignment Problem
Introduction
Although assignment problem can be solved either by using the techniques of Linear
Programming or by the transportation method yet the assignment method developed by
D. Konig, a Hungarian mathematician known as the Hungarian method of assignment problem
is much faster and efficient. In order to use this method, one needs to know only the cost of
making all the possible assignments. Each assignment problem has a matrix (table) associated
with it. Normally, the objects (or people) one wishes to assign are expressed in rows, whereas
the columns represent the tasks (or things) assigned to them. The number in the table would
then be the costs associated with each particular assignment. It may be noted that the
assignment problem is a variation of transportation problem with two characteristics firstly the
cost matrix is a square matrix and secondly the optimum solution for the problem would be
such that there would be only one assignment in a row or column of the cost matrix.
Solution of Assignment Problem
The assignment problem can be solved by the following four methods:
a) Complete enumeration method
b) Simplex Method
c) Transportation method
d) Hungarian m
Complete enumeration method
In this method, a list of all possible assignments among the given resources and activities is
prepared. Then an assignment involving the minimum cost, time or distance or maximum
profits is selected. If two or more assignments have the same minimum cost, time or distance,
the problem has multiple optimal solutions. This method can be used only if the number of
assignments is less. It becomes unsuitable for manual calculations if number of assignments
is large
Simplex method
This can be solved as a linear programming problem as discussed in section 8.1.3 of the last
lesson and as such can be solved by the simplex algorithm.
Transportation method
As assignment is a special case of transportation problem, it can also be solved using
transportation model discussed in module 3. The solution obtained by applying this method
would be degenerate. This is because the optimality test in the transportation method requires
that there must be m+n-1= (2n-1) basic variables. For an assignment problem of order n x n
there would be only n basic variables in the solution because here n assignments are required
to be made. This degeneracy problem of solution makes the transportation method
computationally inefficient for solving the assignment problem
Hungarian assignment method
Sinai University - Faculty of IT & CS Ass. Lec. Mahmoud Atef
The Hungarian method of assignment provides us with an efficient means of finding the
optimal solution. The Hungarian method is based upon the following principles:
(i) If a constant is added to every element of a row and/or column of the cost matrix of
an assig-nment problem the resulting assignment problem has the same optimum
solution as the original problem or vice versa.
(ii) The solution having zero total cost is considered as optimum solution.
Enumeration Method
The enumeration method is a simple algorithm for solving the assignment problem that
involves generating all possible assignments of agents to tasks and evaluating the cost or
benefit of each assignment to find the optimal solution. The algorithm works as follows:
Step 1: Create a list of all possible permutations of the agents' assignments to tasks. For n
agents and n tasks, there are nPn (𝒏!) possible permutations.
Step 2: For each permutation, compute the total cost or benefit of the assignment by summing
the costs or benefits of each agent's assignment to their respective task.
Step 3: Select the assignment with the lowest cost or highest benefit as the optimal solution.
Explain the enumeration method step by step
For the following assignment problem;
Emp Name Task A Task B Task C
Ahmed 25 14 12
Samy 16 20 18
Hoda 8 14 20
Step 1: Create a list of all possible permutations of the agents' assignments to tasks.
There are 3 agents and 3 tasks, so there are 3! = 6 possible permutations:
1. Ahmed -> Task A, Samy -> Task B, Hoda -> Task C
2. Ahmed -> Task A, Samy -> Task C, Hoda -> Task B
3. Ahmed -> Task B, Samy -> Task A, Hoda -> Task C
4. Ahmed -> Task B, Samy -> Task C, Hoda -> Task A
5. Ahmed -> Task C, Samy -> Task A, Hoda -> Task B
6. Ahmed -> Task C, Samy -> Task B, Hoda -> Task A
Sinai University - Faculty of IT & CS Ass. Lec. Mahmoud Atef
Step 2: For each permutation, compute the total cost of the assignment by summing the
costs of each agent's assignment to their respective task.
For example, for the first permutation (Ahmed -> Task A, Samy -> Task B, Hoda -> Task
C), the total cost is:
Cost = 25 + 20 + 20 = 65
Similarly, we can compute the total cost for each of the remaining permutations:
1. Ahmed -> Task A, Samy -> Task B, Hoda -> Task C: Cost = 65
2. Ahmed -> Task A, Samy -> Task C, Hoda -> Task B: Cost = 64
3. Ahmed -> Task B, Samy -> Task A, Hoda -> Task C: Cost = 42
4. Ahmed -> Task B, Samy -> Task C, Hoda -> Task A: Cost = 40
5. Ahmed -> Task C, Samy -> Task A, Hoda -> Task B: Cost = 52
6. Ahmed -> Task C, Samy -> Task B, Hoda -> Task A: Cost = 40
Step 3: Select the assignment with the lowest cost as the optimal solution. In this case,
the optimal assignment is the fourth permutation and sixth permutation, which has a
total cost of 40:
Optimal assignment:
Ahmed -> Task C, Samy -> Task B, Hoda -> Task A Total cost: 40
Ahmed -> Task B, Samy -> Task C, Hoda -> Task A Total cost: 40
Therefore, the optimal solution is to assign Ahmed to Task C, Samy to Task B, and Hoda
to Task A, with a total cost of 40.
Sinai University - Faculty of IT & CS Ass. Lec. Mahmoud Atef
Q.1 For the following assignment problem build the MM, then get the optimal
solution.
Emp Name Task A Task B Task C
Ahmed 25 14 12
Samy 16 20 18
Hoda 8 14 20
Solution:
Mathematical Model;
Emp. Name Task A Task B Task C
Ahmed 25 14 12
𝑥11 𝑥12 𝑥13 (6 Marks)
Samy 16 20 18
𝑥21 𝑥22 𝑥23
Emp Name 𝑥31 8 𝑥32 14 𝑥33 20
Decision variables:
Assume that; 𝒙𝒊𝒋 : is the person 𝑖 doing job 𝑗
Objective function:
Min 𝑍 = 25𝑥11 + 14𝑥12 + 12𝑥13 + 16𝑥21 + 20𝑥22 + 18𝑥23 + 8𝑥31 +
14𝑥32 + 20𝑥33
Subject to;
𝑥11 + 𝑥12 + 𝑥13 = 1
𝑥21 + 𝑥22 + 𝑥23 = 1
𝑥31 + 𝑥32 + 𝑥33 = 1
𝑥11 + 𝑥21 + 𝑥31 = 1
𝑥12 + 𝑥22 + 𝑥32 = 1
𝑥𝑖𝑗 = 0 𝑜𝑟 1
Sinai University - Faculty of IT & CS Ass. Lec. Mahmoud Atef
To get the optimal solution, we use the enumeration method; (4 Marks)
The optimal solution is given by the two best allocation
Sinai University - Faculty of IT & CS Ass. Lec. Mahmoud Atef
