Assignment Model Approach

• The second special-purpose LP algorithm is the

assignment method
• Each assignment problem has associated with it a
table, or matrix
• Generally, the rows contain the objects or people we
wish to assign, and the columns comprise the tasks or
things we want them assigned to
• The numbers in the table are the costs associated with
each particular assignment
• An assignment problem can be viewed as a
transportation problem in which the capacity from each
source is 1 and the demand at each destination is 1
 Assignment Model Approach
• The Fix-It Shop has three rush projects to repair
• They have three repair persons with different talents
and abilities
• The owner has estimates of wage costs for each
worker for each project
• The owner’s objective is to assign the three project to
the workers in a way that will result in the lowest cost
to the shop
• Each project will be assigned exclusively to one
worker
 Assignment Model Approach
• Estimated project repair costs for the Fix-It shop
assignment problem

PROJECT

PERSON 1 2 3

Adams $11 $14 $6

Brown 8 10 11

Cooper 9 12 7

Table 10.26
 Assignment Model Approach
• Summary of Fix-It Shop assignment alternatives and
costs

PRODUCT ASSIGNMENT
LABOR TOTAL
1 2 3
COSTS ($) COSTS ($)
Adams Brown Cooper 11 + 10 + 7 28
Adams Cooper Brown 11 + 12 + 11 34
Brown Adams Cooper 8 + 14 + 7 29
Brown Cooper Adams 8 + 12 + 6 26
Cooper Adams Brown 9 + 14 + 11 34
Cooper Brown Adams 9 + 10 + 6 25

Table 10.27
 The Hungarian Method
(Flood’s Technique)
• The Hungarian method is an efficient method of finding
the optimal solution to an assignment problem without
having to make direct comparisons of every option
• It operates on the principle of matrix reduction
• By subtracting and adding appropriate numbers in the
cost table or matrix, we can reduce the problem to a
matrix of opportunity costs
• Opportunity costs show the relative penalty associated
with assigning any person to a project as opposed to
making the best assignment
• We want to make assignment so that the opportunity
cost for each assignment is zero
 Hungarian Assignment Method
• Step 1
Balance the problem if it is unbalanced
Place an M as the cost element if some
assignment is prohibited
Convert into equivalent min problem if it is
a max problem
Step 2: Identify the smallest cost element in each
row of the cost table. Subtract this smallest
element from each element in that row. As a
result there shall be at least one zero in each
row of this table called the reduced cost table.

Step 3: Now consider each column and identify the

smallest element in it. Subtract the smallest
element from every element in the column. As a
consequence, there would be at least one zero
in each of the rows and columns of the second
reduced cost table.
Step 4: Draw minimum number of horizontal and
vertical lines that cover all zeros. If the number
of lines drawn (N) is equal to order of the matrix
(n, number of rows/columns) then the current
solution is optimum, and proceed to step 7.
If the number of lines (N) is smaller than n, go to
next step.

Step 5: Select the smallest element from all

uncovered elements. Subtract this from all
uncovered elements and add it to the
intersection of horizontal and vertical lines.
Step 6: Repeat steps 4 and 5 until an optimum
solution is obtained.

Step 7: Make job assignments as indicated by the

‘zero’ elements.
i) Locate a row which contains only one zero
element. Assign the job corresponding to this
element to its corresponding person. Cross
out the zero’s, if any, in the column
corresponding to the element, which is
indicative of the fact that the particular job and
person are no more available.
ii) Repeat (i) for each row which contains only
one row. Similarly, the same operation in
respect of each column contain only one zero
element is performed. Cross out the zeros, if
any in the row in which the element lies.

iii) If there is no row or column with only a single

zero element, then select a row or column
arbitrarily and chose one of the jobs ( or
persons) and make the assignment. Now
cross the remaining zeros in the column and
row in respect of which the assignment is
made.
iv) Repeat steps (i) through (iii) until all
assignments are made.

v) Determine the total cost with reference

to the original cost table.
 Steps in the Assignment Method

Not
Set up cost table for problem Revise opportunity cost table in
optimal
two steps:
Step 1 (a) Subtract the smallest
number not covered by a line
from itself and every other
Find opportunity cost
uncovered number
(a) Subtract smallest number in
(b) add this number at every
each row from every number in
intersection of any two lines
that row, then
(b) subtract smallest number in
each column from every
number in that column Optimal solution at zero
locations. Systematically make
final assignments.
Step 2
(a) Check each row and column
for a unique zero and make the
Test opportunity cost table to see first assignment in that row or
if optimal assignments are column
possible by drawing the minimum
possible lines on columns and/or (b) Eliminate that row and column
rows such that all zeros are Optimal and search for another unique
covered zero. Make that assignment and
proceed in a like manner.

Figure 10.3
 The Hungarian Method
(Flood’s Technique)
• Step 1: Find the opportunity cost table
– We can compute row opportunity costs and column
opportunity costs
– What we need is the total opportunity cost
– We derive this by taking the row opportunity costs and
subtract the smallest number in that column from
each number in that column
 The Hungarian Method
(Flood’s Technique)
• Cost of each person-  Row opportunity cost table
project assignment
PROJECT PROJECT
PERSON 1 2 3 PERSON 1 2 3

Adams $11 $14 $6 Adams $5 $8 $0

Brown 8 10 11 Brown 0 2 3

Cooper 9 12 7 Cooper 2 5 0

Table 10.28 Table 10.29

 The opportunity cost of assigning Cooper to project 2 is $12 – $7

= $5
 The Hungarian Method
(Flood’s Technique)
• We derive the total opportunity costs by taking the
costs in Table 29 and subtract the smallest number in
each column from each number in that column

 Row opportunity cost table  Total opportunity cost

table

PROJECT PROJECT
PERSON 1 2 3 PERSON 1 2 3

Adams $5 $8 $0 Adams $5 $6 $0

Brown 0 2 3 Brown 0 0 3

Cooper 2 5 0 Cooper 2 3 0

Table 10.29 Table 10.30

 The Hungarian Method
(Flood’s Technique)
• Step 2: Test for the optimal assignment
– We want to assign workers to projects in such a
way that the total labor costs are at a minimum
– We would like to have a total assigned opportunity
cost of zero
– The test to determine if we have reached an
optimal solution is simple
– We find the minimum number of straight lines
necessary to cover all the zeros in the table
– If the number of lines equals the number of rows
or columns, an optimal solution has been reached
 The Hungarian Method
(Flood’s Technique)
 Test for optimal solution

PROJECT
PERSON 1 2 3

Adams $5 $6 $0

Brown 0 0 3 Covering line 1

Cooper 2 3 0

Table 10.31 Covering line 2

 This requires only two lines to cover the zeros so the solution is not
optimal
 The Hungarian Method
(Flood’s Technique)
• Step 3: Revise the opportunity-cost table
– We subtract the smallest number not covered by a
line from all numbers not covered by a straight line
– The same number is added to every number lying
at the intersection of any two lines
– We then return to step 2 to test this new table
 The Hungarian Method
(Flood’s Technique)
 Revised opportunity cost table (derived by subtracting 2 from each cell
not covered by a line and adding 2 to the cell at the intersection of the
lines)

PROJECT
PERSON 1 2 3

Adams $3 $4 $0

Brown 0 0 5

Cooper 0 1 0

Table 10.32
 The Hungarian Method
(Flood’s Technique)
 Optimality test on the revised opportunity cost table

PROJECT
PERSON 1 2 3

Adams $3 $4 $0

Brown 0 0 5 Covering line 2

Cooper 0 1 0

Table 10.33 Covering line 1 Covering line 3

 This requires three lines to cover the zeros so the solution is optimal
 Making the Final Assignment
• The optimal assignment is Adams to project 3, Brown to
project 2, and Cooper to project 1
• But this is a simple problem
• For larger problems one approach to making the final
assignment is to select a row or column that contains
only one zero
• Make the assignment to that cell and rule out its row and
column
• Follow this same approach for all the remaining cells
 Making the Final Assignment
• Total labor costs of this assignment are

ASSIGNMENT COST ($)

Adams to project 3 6

Brown to project 2 10

Cooper to project 1 9

Total cost 25
 Making the Final Assignment
• Making the final assignments

(A) FIRST (B) SECOND (C) THIRD

ASSIGNMENT ASSIGNMENT ASSIGNMENT

1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3

Adams 3 4 0 Adams 3 4 0 Adams 3 4 0

Brown 0 0 5 Brown 0 0 5 Brown 0 0 5

Cooper 0 1 0 Cooper 0 1 0 Cooper 0 1 0

Table 10.34
 Unbalanced Assignment Problems
• Often the number of people or objects to be assigned
does not equal the number of tasks or clients or
machines listed in the columns, and the problem is
unbalanced
• When this occurs, and there are more rows than
columns, simply add a dummy column or task
• If the number of tasks exceeds the number of people
available, we add a dummy row
• Since the dummy task or person is nonexistent, we enter
zeros in its row or column as the cost or time estimate
 Unbalanced Assignment Problems
• The Fix-It Shop has another worker available
• The shop owner still has the same basic problem of
assigning workers to projects
• But the problem now needs a dummy column to
balance the four workers and three projects
PROJECT
PERSON 1 2 3 DUMMY
Adams $11 $14 $6 $0
Brown 8 10 11 0
Cooper 9 12 7 0
Davis 10 13 8 0

Table 10.35
 Maximization Assignment Problems

• Some assignment problems are phrased in terms of

maximizing the payoff, profit, or effectiveness
• It is easy to obtain an equivalent minimization
problem by converting all numbers in the table to
opportunity costs
• This is brought about by subtracting every number in
the original payoff table from the largest single
number in that table
• Transformed entries represent opportunity costs
• Once the optimal assignment has been found, the
total payoff is found by adding the original payoffs of
those cells that are in the optimal assignment
 Maximization Assignment Problems

• The British navy wishes to assign four ships to patrol

four sectors of the North Sea
• Ships are rated for their probable efficiency in each
sector
• The commander wants to determine patrol
assignments producing the greatest overall efficiencies
 Maximization Assignment Problems

• Efficiencies of British ships in patrol sectors

SECTOR
SHIP A B C D
1 20 60 50 55
2 60 30 80 75
3 80 100 90 80
4 65 80 75 70

Table 10.36
 Maximization Assignment Problems

• Opportunity cost of British ships

SECTOR
SHIP A B C D
1 80 40 50 45
2 40 70 20 25
3 20 0 10 20
4 35 20 25 30

Table 10.37
 Maximization Assignment Problems

• First convert the maximization efficiency table into a

minimizing opportunity cost table by subtracting each
rating from 100, the largest rating in the whole table
• The smallest number in each row is subtracted from
every number in that row and the smallest number in
each column is subtracted from every number in that
column
• The minimum number of lines needed to cover the
zeros in the table is four, so this represents an
optimal solution
 Maximization Assignment Problems

• The overall efficiency

ASSIGNMENT EFFICIENCY

Ship 1 to sector D 55

Ship 2 to sector C 80

Ship 3 to sector B 100

Ship 4 to sector A 65

Total efficiency 300

Assignment problem:

• Can be formulated and solved as a

transportation problem

• Can be formulated and solved an LPP

• Can be solved by Hungarian Assignment

Method (HAM)
1. There are five jobs to be assigned to five
machines. Costs of completion of the jobs on
the respective machines are as given in the
table below. Determine the optimal assignment
that minimize the total cost of all the jobs.
Machines

  M1 M2 M3 M4 M5
J1 65 40 90 80 90
J2 60 35 100 85 85
Job J3 60 38 105 90 95
J4 70 45 120 90 100
J5 65 40 105 87 90
2. A company has just developed a new item for
which it proposes to undertake a national
television promotional campaign. It has decided
to schedule a series of one minute commercials
during peak audience viewing hours of 1.00 pm
to 5.00 pm. To reach the widest possible
audience, the company wants to schedule one
commercial on each of the networks and to have
only one commercial appear during each of the
four one-hour time blocks. The exposure ratings
for each hour, which represents the number of
viewers per Rs.10,000 spent, are given under.
 Network
A B C D
1-2 pm 27 18 11 9.5
Viewing 2-3 pm 19 16 17 11
hours
3-4 pm 19 19 9.9 7.7
4-5 pm 12 21 17 13
i) Which network should be scheduled
each hour to provide the maximum
exposure?
ii) How should the schedule change if it is
decided not to use Network A between
1.00 pm and 3.00 pm?