Pareto-Optimal Solutions for Multi-objective Production Scheduling Problems


Abstract

This paper adapts metaheuristic methods to develop Pareto optimal solutions to multi-criteria production scheduling problems. Approach is inspired by enhanced versions of genetic algorithms. Method first extends the Nondominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm (NSGA), a method recently proposed to produce Pareto-optimal solutions to numerical multi-objective problems. Multi-criteria flowshop scheduling is addressed next. Multi-criteria job shop scheduling is subsequently examined. Lastly the multi-criteria open shop problem is solved. Final solutions to each are Pareto optimal. The paper concludes with a statistical comparison of the performance of the basic NSGA to NSGA augmented by elitist selection.