An effective subgradient algorithm for the generalized assignment problem

Abstract

A modified subgradient algorithm is presented for the generalized assignment problem, which, like the classical assignment problem, is concerned with the minimum cost assignment of agents to jobs. The generalized assignment problem, however, permits differences in job performance efficiencies among agents and thereby allows the possibility that each agent may be assigned more than a single job, as long as each job is ultimately assigned and the total resources available to every agent are not exceeded. A two stage heuristic algorithm using a modified subgradient approach and branch and bound is developed for solving the problem. By computing step sizes precisely and using the dual as a bound, the algorithm is shown to be particularly effective and easy to program and implement. A numerical example is presented to illustrate the model and method, and computational experience is cited for problems containing up to 12,000 0–1 variables.