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A CLP approach for examination planning

  • Conference paper
  • First Online:
Constraint Processing (CP 1994, CP 1993)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNCS,volume 923))

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Abstract

In this chapter, we present an application of Constraint Logic Programming to the examination planning problem of our University. Each year, in June, 4000 students of various branches of instruction have to attend examination during a couple of weeks for academic reasons. The problem (for June 1993) consists of planning 308 different examinations on 33 half-days over 7 rooms of different capacities. A set of different and various constraints has to be satisfied. This problem has been identified by operations researchers as a scheduling problem with disjunctive and cumulative conjunctive constraints and classified as NP-complete (using a naive enumeration would lead to consider (7 * 33)308 possibilities). The solution has been reached using the finite domains of CHIP. We have developed two versions of the application: one using Chipv3, and one using Chipv4 which owns special kinds of new constraints like the cumulative constraint. After having described the specific problem of our university, we will present the two developments and compare them. Finally, we will illustrate the huge capacity of prototyping and implementation of real-life applications in Constraint Logic Programming.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut de Mathématiques Appliquées, Université Catholique de l'Ouest, 3 Place André Leroy, B. P. 808, 49008, Angers Cedex 01, France

    Laurent Péridy

Authors
  1. Patrice Boizumault
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  2. Yan Delon
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  3. Laurent Péridy
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Editor information

Manfred Meyer

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© 1995 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Boizumault, P., Delon, Y., Péridy, L. (1995). A CLP approach for examination planning. In: Meyer, M. (eds) Constraint Processing. CP CP 1994 1993. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 923. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-59479-5_20

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-59479-5_20

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-59479-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-49281-8

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