A Self-Adjusting Search Domain Method-Based Genetic Algorithm for Solving Flexible Job Shop Scheduling Problem

Abstract

As a nondeterministic polynomial (NP) problem, the flexible job shop scheduling problem (FJSP) is a difficult problem to be solved in terms of finding an acceptable solution. In last decades, genetic algorithm (GA) displays very promising performance in the field. In this article, a hybrid algorithm combining global and local search with reinitialization (GLRe)-based GA is proposed to minimize makespan for FJSP. The solution of FJSP is conveniently represented by a double-layer chromosome representation method, which is convenient for subsequent genetic operations, that is, sorting of operations and selection of machines. Two strategies of choosing the job with the most remaining operations (CRO) and 6-dimensional variable determined search position (6D-VSP) are proposed as two components for GA, which are applied to generate a population with superior quality and reduce the global search space during the initialization stage. At the same time, in order to prevent the loss of diversity during evolution, a reinitialization strategy is introduced in the later stage of evolution to adaptively adjust the search domain of the problem. Finally, two sets of benchmark data are tested. The experimental results demonstrate the accuracy and effectiveness of the GLRe proposed in this article for solving FJSP.