Building Better Nurse Scheduling Algorithms

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Aickelin, Uwe and White, Paul (2004) Building Better Nurse Scheduling Algorithms. Annals of Operations Research, 128 . pp. 159-177. ISSN 0254-5330

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Abstract

The aim of this research is twofold: Firstly, to model and solve a complex nurse scheduling problem with an integer programming formulation and evolutionary algorithms. Secondly, to detail a novel statistical method of comparing and hence building better scheduling algorithms by identifying successful algorithm modifications. The comparison method captures the results of algorithms in a single figure that can then be compared using traditional statistical techniques. Thus, the proposed method of comparing algorithms is an objective procedure designed to assist in the process of improving an algorithm. This is achieved even when some results are non-numeric or missing due to infeasibility. The final algorithm outperforms all previous evolutionary algorithms, which relied on human expertise for modification.

Item Type: Article
Additional Information: The original publication is available at www.springerlink.com
Keywords: Nurse scheduling, evolutionary algorithms, integer programming, statistical comparison method
Schools/Departments: University of Nottingham, UK > Faculty of Science > School of Computer Science
Depositing User: Aickelin, Professor Uwe
Date Deposited: 04 Dec 2007 11:10
Last Modified: 31 May 2021 14:47
URI: https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/id/eprint/612

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