Solving Curriculum-Based Course Timetabling Problem with Artificial Bee Colony Algorithm

Abstract

There is a trend in the scientific community to create and solve optimization models for complex problems based on the life in nature, one of which is Artificial Bee Colony Algorithm (Algorithm ABC). This paper discussed the ABC Algorithm to solve CBT (Curriculum-Based Course Timetabling) problems in the ITC-2007 (International timetabling Competition - 2007). The composition of the ABC algorithm to solve the problems is demonstrated in this paper. The proposed ABC algorithm consisting of four phases: initialization, Employed Bee phase, Onlooker Bee phase and phase Scout Bee. Initialization phase generating solution candidates which subjects were randomly placed in the slot and the space available. In Employed bee phase and Onlooker Bee phase, a search of existing slots and room around the subjects that violate the constraint with the aim of minimizing constraint violation is conducted. Based on the experimental results show that the ABC algorithm can solve problems of CBT on the ITC-2007 with fewer number of soft constraint violations compared to the results of Asaju et. Al, who proposed similar approach to solve CBT problems in the ICT-2007. However, the proposed ABC Algorithm is still not able to achieve results comparable with the best approach reported in the ITC-2007.