A graph theory model for the computer solution of university time-tables and related problems

Williams, Michael Roy (1969) A graph theory model for the computer solution of university time-tables and related problems. PhD thesis, University of Glasgow.

Abstract

The work described in this thesis is concerned with four main fields of investigation, three concerned with the problems of a university administration in producing time-tables, and one concerned with the theory of graphs which provides a convenient mathematical model of a university course-student structure. A university administration's time-table problems may be classified under these headings: 1. the production of examination time-tables, 2. the assignment of students to classes, and 3. the production of class-teacher-room time-tables. These three problems are a class of the general combinatorial problem and thus simple enumeration will, in theory, provide a solution. This thesis describes and evaluates several algorithmic methods of solution and several heuristic approaches to reduce the combinatorial difficulties of the problems. Although heuristic methods do not guarantee the finding of an optimal solution, or, in some cases, any solution at all, the success of particular heuristics is demonstrated an actual course-student data. A new algorithmic method is proposed for the construction of class-teacher-room time-tables. The feasibility of this method is demonstrated with a non-trivial example based on a game. The thesis concludes with an investigation of the theory of graphs, the mathematical model used in previous work. Upper and lower bounds for the chromatic number of a graph are developed and procedures for reducing the size of the problem are constructed and discussed. An algorithm for finding all the complete subgraphs of a graph is developed as an aid in determining the solution to parts of the time-table problem. This is then related to several theorems concerning the eigenvalues and eigenvectors of the matrices associated with graphs and their meaning in the terms of the structure of these graphs. This leads readily to a bound, involving eigenvalues, for the size of the largest complete subgraph in any given graph. The graph theory section ends with a short note on the four colour problem.

• Item Type: Thesis (PhD)
• Qualification Level: Doctoral
• Additional Information: Adviser: D C Gilles
• Keywords: Computer science
• Date of Award: 1969
• Depositing User: Enlighten Team
• Unique ID: glathesis:1969-72441
• Copyright: Copyright of this thesis is held by the author.
• Date Deposited: 24 May 2019 15:12
• Last Modified: 24 May 2019 15:12
• URI: https://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/72441