A Hybrid Algorithm for a Robust Permutation Flow Shop Scheduling Problem

Abstract

This paper discusses a two-machine permutation flow shop scheduling problem with uncertain job processing times. Uncertain processing times are described by discrete scenarios. The objective is to minimize the sum of weighted tardiness under the worst-case scenario. The min-max robust scheduling model is established. A hybrid algorithm of combining harmony search and simulated annealing is designed for the problem studied. An extensive experiment was conducted. The computational results verified the effectiveness and the superiority of the hybrid algorithm.