Mixed graph colouring as scheduling multi-processor tasks with equal processing times

Abstract

A problem of scheduling partially ordered unit-time tasks processed on dedicated machines is formulated as a mixed graph colouring problem, i. e., as an assignment of integers (colours) {1, 2, …, t} to the vertices (tasks) V {ν1, ν2, …, νn}, of the mixed graph G = (V, A, E) such that if vertices vp and vq are joined by an edge [νp, νq] ∈ E their colours have to be different. Further, if two vertices νp and νq are joined by an arc (νi, νj) ∈ A the colour of vertex νi has to be no greater than the colour of vertex νj. We prove that an optimal colouring of a mixed graph G = (V, A, E) is equivalent to the scheduling problem GcMPT|pi = 1|Cmax of finding an optimal schedule for partially ordered multi-processor tasks with unit (equal) processing times. Contrary to classical shop-scheduling problems, several dedicated machines are required to process an individual task in the scheduling problem GcMPT|pi = 1|Cmax. Moreover, along with precedence constraints given on the set V {ν1, ν2, …, νn}, it is required that a subset of tasks must be processed simultaneously. Due to the theorems proved in this article, most analytical results that have been proved for the scheduling problems GcMPT |pi = 1|Cmax so far, have analogous results for optimal colourings of the mixed graphs G = (V, A, E), and vice versa.