Skip to main content
Log in

Single Machine Scheduling with Learning Effect Considerations

  • Published:
Annals of Operations Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In this paper we study a single machine scheduling problem in which the job processing times will decrease as a result of learning. A volume-dependent piecewise linear processing time function is used to model the learning effects. The objective is to minimize the maximum lateness. We first show that the problem is NP-hard in the strong sense and then identify two special cases which are polynomially solvable. We also propose two heuristics and analyse their worst-case performance.

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

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. G.L. Alder, The effects of learning on optimal single and multiple lot size determination, Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, New York University (1973).

  2. E.S. Buffa, Meeting the Competitive Challenge (Irwin, Homewood, 1984).

    Google Scholar 

  3. T.C.E. Cheng and M.Y. Kovalyov, Scheduling with learning effects on job processing times, Working Paper, No. 06/94, Faculty of Business and Information Systems, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (1994).

  4. E.N. Corlett and V.J. Morcombe, Straightening out the learning curve, Personnel Management 2 (1970) 14–19.

    Google Scholar 

  5. M.R. Garey and D.S. Johnson, Computers and Intractability: A Guide to the Theory of NPCompleteness (Freeman, New York, 1979).

    Google Scholar 

  6. M.R. Garey, D.S. Johnson and R. Sethi, The complexity of flowshop and jobshop scheduling, Mathematics of Operations Research 1 (1976) 117–129.

    Google Scholar 

  7. S. Gawiejnowicz, A note on scheduling on a single processor with speed dependent on a number of executed jobs, Information Processing Letters 56 (1996) 297–300.

    Google Scholar 

  8. R.L. Graham, E.L. Lawler, J.K. Lenstra and A.H.G. Rinooy Kan, Optimization and approximation in deterministic sequencing and scheduling: a survey, Annals of Discrete Mathematics 5 (1979) 287–326.

    Google Scholar 

  9. T.J. Greene and R.P. Sadowski, A review of cellular manufacturing assumptions, advantages and design techniques, Journal of Operations Management 4 (1984) 85–97.

    Google Scholar 

  10. W.M. Hancock, Prediction of learning rates for manual operations, Journal of Industrial Engineering 18 (1967) 42–47.

    Google Scholar 

  11. K.I.-J. Ho, J.Y.-T. Leung and W.-D. Wei, Complexity of scheduling tasks with time-dependent execution times, Information Processing Letters 48 (1993) 315–320.

    Google Scholar 

  12. E.K. Ivanov, Group Production Organization and Technology (Translated by E. Bishop) (Business Publications, London, 1968).

    Google Scholar 

  13. J.R. Jackson, Scheduling a production line to minimize maximum tardiness, Research Report 43, Management Science Research Project, UCLA (1955).

  14. E.C. Keachie and R.J. Fontana, Effects of learning on optimal lot size, Management Science 13 (1966) 102–108.

    Google Scholar 

  15. M. Kilbridge, Predetermined learning curves for clerical operations, Journal of Industrial Engineering 10 (1959) 203–209.

    Google Scholar 

  16. H. Kise, T. Ibaraki and H. Mine, Performance analysis of six approximation algorithms for the onemachine maximum lateness scheduling problem with ready times, Journal of the Operational Research Society of Japan 22 (1979) 205–224.

    Google Scholar 

  17. C.L. Li and T.C.E. Cheng, An economic production quantity model with learning and forgetting considerations, Production and Operations Management 3 (1994) 118–132.

    Google Scholar 

  18. I. Meilijson and A. Tamir, Minimizing flow time on parallel identical processors with variable unit processing time, Operations Research 32 (1984) 440–448.

    Google Scholar 

  19. C.H. Papadimitriou and K. Steiglitz, Combinatorial Optimization (Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1982).

    Google Scholar 

  20. D.R. Sule, A note on production time variation in determining EMQ under influence of learning and forgetting, AIIE Transactions 13 (1981) 91–95.

    Google Scholar 

  21. T.M. Wright, Factors affecting the cost of airplanes, Journal of Aeronautical Sciences 3 (1936) 122–128.

    Google Scholar 

  22. L.E. Yelle, The leaning curve: historical review and comprehensive survey, Decision Sciences 10 (1984) 302–327.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Cheng, T.E., Wang, G. Single Machine Scheduling with Learning Effect Considerations. Annals of Operations Research 98, 273–290 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1019216726076

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1019216726076

Navigation