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The Assignment Problem

The document describes the assignment problem in operations research. The problem aims to assign n jobs to n machines to minimize the total cost, where the cost cij is incurred when job i is assigned to machine j. It provides the mathematical formulation that defines a binary variable xij indicating if job i is assigned to machine j. The objective is to minimize the total assignment cost given by the cost matrix. It then describes the Hungarian algorithm, a polynomial time algorithm that solves the assignment problem in 5 steps: (1) determine effectiveness matrix, (2) assign zeros, (3) check optimality, (4) draw minimum lines, (5) repeat until optimal. It also notes that if the number of jobs and machines is unequal

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60 views2 pages

The Assignment Problem

The document describes the assignment problem in operations research. The problem aims to assign n jobs to n machines to minimize the total cost, where the cost cij is incurred when job i is assigned to machine j. It provides the mathematical formulation that defines a binary variable xij indicating if job i is assigned to machine j. The objective is to minimize the total assignment cost given by the cost matrix. It then describes the Hungarian algorithm, a polynomial time algorithm that solves the assignment problem in 5 steps: (1) determine effectiveness matrix, (2) assign zeros, (3) check optimality, (4) draw minimum lines, (5) repeat until optimal. It also notes that if the number of jobs and machines is unequal

Uploaded by

Dr.A.Gayathri
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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THE ASSIGNMENT PROBLEM

Suppose there are n-jobs for a factory and has n-machines to process the jobs. A job i (i=1,2,…
n ) when processed by machine j ( j=1,2,…n) is assumed to incur a cost c ij .The assignment is
to be made in such a way that each job can associate with one and only one machine.
Determine an assignment of jobs to machines so as to minimize the overall cost.

MATHEMATCAL FORMULATION

We can define xij = 0, if the ith job not assigned to jth machine.
= 1 , if the ith job is assigned to jth machine.

We can assign one job to each machine,


n n
∑ x ij=1, and ∑ x ij=1
i=1 j=1

The total assignment cost is given by


n n
z=∑ ∑ cij x ij
j=1 i=1

1.4.2 THE ASSIGNMENT ALGORITHM

Step (1). Determine the effectiveness matrix. Subtract the minimum element of each row of the
given cost matrix from all of the elements of the row. Examine if there is at least one zero in
each row and in each column. If it is so, stop here, otherwise subtract the minimum element of
each column from all the elements of the column. The resulting matrix is the starting
effectiveness matrix.

Step (2). Assign the zeroes:


(a). Examine the rows of the current effective matrix successively until a row with exactly one
unmarked zero is found. Mark this zero, indicating that an assignment will be made there.
Mark all other zeroes lying in the column of above encircled zero. The cells marked will not
be considered for any future assignment. Continue in this manner until all the rows have taken
care of.
(b). Similarly for columns.

Step (3). Check for Optimality. Repeat step 2 successively till one of the following occurs.
(a). There is no row and no column without assignment. In such a case, the current assignment
is optimal.
(b). There may be some row or column without an assignment. In this case the current solution
is not optimal. Proceed to next step.
Step (4). Draw minimum number of lines crossing all zeroes as follows. If the number of lines
is equal to the order of the matrix, then the current solution is optimal, otherwise it is not
optimal. Go to the next step>

Step (5). Examine the elements that do not have a line through them. Select the smallest of
these elements and subtract the same from all the elements that do not have a line through
them, and add this element to every element that lies in the intersection of the two lines.

Step (6). Repeat this until an optimal assignment is reached.

UNBALANCED ASSIGNMENT PROBLEM

When the cost matrix of an assignment problem is not a square matrix, i.e; number of
sources is not equal to the number of destinations, the assignment problem is called an
unbalanced assignment problem. In such problems, dummy rows or columns are added in the
matrix so as to complete it to form a square matrix.

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