Advances in Operations Research

This paper considers the examination timetabling problem (ETTP) at the College of Industrial Technology (CIT) of the King Mongkut’s University of Technology North Bangkok in Thailand. A new integer linear programming (ILP) formulation for the ETTP at the CIT is presented. The objectives were to minimize both the number of examination days (the main objective) and the number of rooms used throughout the entire examination period (the secondary objective). In this paper, a course can have multiple sections, and an examination room can accommodate exams for more than one course section. To illustrate the proposed ILP model, real data on courses acquired from the CIT were used to generate two test problems: a small problem and a large problem. The small problem included 32 courses with 69 sections. The large problem included 73 courses with 341 sections, which was the real data required for generating the midterm examination timetable for all first‐year courses in the first semester of 2021. Both problems were solved using the CPLEX solver software. The results show that the proposed model could find an optimal examination timetable for the small problem with a computational time of 2 min and 46 s. It also could find a good feasible midterm examination timetable that satisfied the requirements of the CIT for the large problem within the 2‐h time limit, much less time than that compared to manual scheduling by the CIT’s administrative staff. The obtained midterm examination timetable required five examination days and could reduce 104 examination rooms compared to assigning each course section to a separate examination room. The proposed ILP model can be used in a real‐life situation and can be a good option to generate an optimal schedule or a good feasible schedule for examinations at the CIT or other institutions that have similar requirements.

Teeradech Laisupannawong

Supphakorn Sumetthapiwat

An Integer Linear Programming Model for the Examination Timetabling Problem: A Case Study of a University in Thailand

泰国某大学考试时间表问题的整数线性规划模型：案例研究

The optimization computation is an essential transversal branch of operations research which is primordial in many technical fields: transport, finance, networks, energy, learning, etc. In fact, it aims to minimize the resource consumption and maximize the generated profits. This work provides a new method for cost optimization which can be applied either on path optimization for graphs or on binary constraint reduction for Constraint Satisfaction Problem (CSP). It is about the computing of the “transitive closure of a given binary relation with respect to a property.” Thus, this paper introduces the mathematical background for the transitive closure of binary relations. Then, it gives the algorithms for computing the closure of a binary relation according to another one. The elaborated algorithms are shown to be polynomial. Since this technique is of great interest, we show its applications in some important industrial fields.

Rachid Oucheikh

Ismail Berrada

Lahcen Omari

Minimizing Cost Travel in Multimodal Transport Using Advanced Relation Transitive Closure

使用高级关系传递闭包最小化多式联运成本

One of the core complexities involved in evaluating decision alternatives in the area of public decision-making is to deal with conflicts. The stakeholders affected by and involved in the decision often have conflicting preferences regarding the actions under consideration. For an executive authority, these differences of opinion can be problematic, during both implementation and communication, even though the decision is rational with respect to an attribute set perceived to represent social welfare. It is therefore important to involve the stakeholders in the process and to get an understanding of their preferences. Otherwise, the stakeholder disagreement can lead to costly conflicts. One way of approaching this problem is to provide means for comprehensive, yet effective stakeholder preference elicitation methods, where the stakeholders can state their preferences with respect to actions part of the current agenda of a government. In this paper we contribute two supporting methods: (i) an application of the cardinal ranking (CAR) method for preference elicitation for conflict evaluations and (ii) two conflict indices for measuring stakeholder conflicts. The application of the CAR method utilizes a do nothing alternative to differentiate between positive and negative actions. The elicited preferences can then be used as input to the two conflict indices indicating the level of conflict within a stakeholder group or between two stakeholder groups. The contributed methods are demonstrated in a real-life example carried out in the municipality of Upplands Väsby, Sweden. We show how a questionnaire can be used to elicit preferences with CAR and how the indices can be used to semantically describe the level of consensus and conflict regarding a certain attribute. As such, we show how the methods can provide decision aid in the clarification of controversies.

Tobias Fasth

Aron Larsson

Love Ekenberg

Mats Danielson

Measuring Conflicts Using Cardinal Ranking: An Application to Decision Analytic Conflict Evaluations

使用基数排序测量冲突：决策分析冲突评估的应用

The paper illustrates the development of an evaluation model for supporting the decision-making process related to an urban regeneration intervention. In particular, the study proposes an original multi-methodological approach, which combines SWOT Analysis, Stakeholders Analysis and PROMETHEE method for the evaluation of alternative renewal strategies of an urban area in Northern Italy. The article also describes the work carried out within an experts’ panel that has been organized for validating the structuring of the decision problem and for evaluating the criteria of the model.

Marta Bottero

Chiara D’Alpaos

Alessandra Oppio

Multicriteria Evaluation of Urban Regeneration Processes: An Application of PROMETHEE Method in Northern Italy

城市再生过程的多准则评估：PROMETHEE方法在意大利北部的应用

Supplier selection is one of the intricate decisions of managers in modern business era. There are different methods and techniques for supplier selection. Data envelopment analysis (DEA) is a popular decision-making method that can be used for this purpose. In this paper, a new dynamic DEA approach is proposed which is capable of evaluating the suppliers in consecutive periods based on their inputs, outputs, and the relationships between the periods classified as desirable relationships, undesirable relationships, and free relationships with positive and negative natures. To this aim various social, economic, and environmental criteria are taken into account. A new method for constructing an ideal decision-making unit (DMU) is proposed in this paper which differs from the existing ones in the literature according to its capability of considering periods with unit efficiencies which do not necessarily belong to a unique DMU. Furthermore, the new ideal DMU has the required ability to rank the suppliers with the same efficiency ratio. In the concerned problem, the supplier that has unit efficiency in each period is selected to construct an ideal supplier. Since it is possible to have more than one supplier with unit efficiency in each period, the ideal supplier can be made with different scenarios with a given probability. To deal with such uncertain condition, a new robust dynamic DEA model is elaborated based on a scenario-based robust optimization approach. Computational results indicate that the proposed robust optimization approach can evaluate and rank the suppliers with unit efficiencies which could not be ranked previously. Furthermore, the proposed ideal DMU can be appropriately used as a benchmark for other DMUs to adjust the probable improvement plans.

Hava Nikfarjam

Mohsen Rostamy-Malkhalifeh

Abbasali Noura

A New Robust Dynamic Data Envelopment Analysis Approach for Sustainable Supplier Evaluation

一种新的稳健动态数据包络分析方法用于可持续供应商评估

Let G = (V, E) be a connected, basic, and finite graph. A subset <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M1"><mi>T</mi><mo>=</mo><mfenced open="{" close="}" separators="|"><mrow><msub><mrow><mi>u</mi></mrow><mrow><mn>1</mn></mrow></msub><mo>,</mo><msub><mrow><mi>u</mi></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn></mrow></msub><mo>,</mo><mo>…</mo><mo>,</mo><msub><mrow><mi>u</mi></mrow><mrow><mi>k</mi></mrow></msub></mrow></mfenced></math> of V(G) is said to be a resolving set if for any y ∈ V(G), the code of y with regards to T, represented by <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M2"><msub><mrow><mi>C</mi></mrow><mrow><mi>T</mi></mrow></msub><mfenced open="(" close=")" separators="|"><mrow><mi>y</mi></mrow></mfenced></math> , which is defined as <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M3"><msub><mrow><mi>C</mi></mrow><mrow><mi>T</mi></mrow></msub><mfenced open="(" close=")" separators="|"><mrow><mi>y</mi></mrow></mfenced><mo>=</mo><mi>d</mi><mfenced open="(" close=")" separators="|"><mrow><msub><mrow><mi>u</mi></mrow><mrow><mn>1</mn></mrow></msub><mo>,</mo><mi>y</mi></mrow></mfenced><mo>,</mo><mi>d</mi><mfenced open="(" close=")" separators="|"><mrow><msub><mrow><mi>u</mi></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn></mrow></msub><mo>,</mo><mi>y</mi></mrow></mfenced><mo>,</mo><mo>…</mo><mo>,</mo><mi>d</mi><mrow><mfenced open="(" close=")" separators="|"><mrow><msub><mrow><mi>u</mi></mrow><mrow><mi>k</mi></mrow></msub><mo>,</mo><mi>y</mi></mrow></mfenced></mrow></math> , is different for various y. The dimension of G is the smallest cardinality of a resolving set and is denoted by dim(G). If, for any t ∈ V – S, there exists r ∈ S such that <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M4"><mfenced open="(" close=")" separators="|"><mrow><mi>S</mi><mo>–</mo><mrow><mfenced open="{" close="}" separators="|"><mrow><mi>r</mi></mrow></mfenced></mrow></mrow></mfenced><mo>∪</mo><mfenced open="{" close="}" separators="|"><mrow><mi>t</mi></mrow></mfenced></math> is a resolving set, then the resolving set S is secure. The secure metric dimension of 𝐺 is the cardinal number of the minimum secure resolving set. Determining the secure metric dimension of any given graph is an NP-complete problem. In addition, there are several uses for the metric dimension in a variety of fields, including image processing, pattern recognition, network discovery and verification, geographic routing protocols, and combinatorial optimization. In this paper, we determine the secure metric dimension of special graphs such as a globe graph <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M5"><mi>G</mi><msub><mrow><mi>l</mi></mrow><mrow><mi>n</mi></mrow></msub></math> , flag graph <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M6"><mi>F</mi><msub><mrow><mi>l</mi></mrow><mrow><mi>n</mi></mrow></msub></math> , H- graph of path <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M7"><msub><mrow><mi>P</mi></mrow><mrow><mi>n</mi></mrow></msub></math> , a bistar graph <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M8"><msubsup><mrow><mi>B</mi></mrow><mrow><mi>n</mi><mo>,</mo><mi>n</mi></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn></mrow></msubsup></math> , and tadpole graph <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M9"><msub><mrow><mi>T</mi></mrow><mrow><mn>3</mn><mo>,</mo><mi>m</mi></mrow></msub></math> . Finally, we derive the explicit formulas for the secure metric dimension of tadpole graph <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M10"><msub><mrow><mi>T</mi></mrow><mrow><mi>n</mi><mo>,</mo><mi>m</mi></mrow></msub></math> , subdivision of tadpole graph <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M11"><mi>S</mi><mfenced open="(" close=")" separators="|"><mrow><msub><mrow><mi>T</mi></mrow><mrow><mn>3</mn><mo>,</mo><mi>m</mi></mrow></msub></mrow></mfenced></math> , and subdivision of tadpole graph <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M12"><mi>S</mi><mfenced open="(" close=")" separators="|"><mrow><msub><mrow><mi>T</mi></mrow><mrow><mi>n</mi><mo>,</mo><mi>m</mi></mrow></msub></mrow></mfenced></math> .

Sultan Almotairi

Olayan Alharbi

Zaid Alzaid

Badr Almutairi

Basma Mohamed

The Secure Metric Dimension of the Globe Graph and the Flag Graph

全球图和旗帜图的安全度量维度

Network Data Envelopment Analysis (NDEA) models assess the processes of the underlying system at a certain moment and disregard the dynamic effects in the production process. Hence, distorted efficiency evaluation is gained that might give misleading information to decision-making units (DMUs). Malmquist–Luenberger Productivity Index (MPI) assesses efficiency changes over time, which are measured as the product of recovery and frontier-shift terms, both coming from the DEA framework. In this study, a form of MPI involving network structure for evaluating DMUs in the presence of uncertainty and undesirable outputs in two periods of time is presented. To cope with uncertainty, we use the stochastic p-robust approach and the weak disposability of Kuosmanen (American Journal Agricultural Economics 87 (4):1077–1082, 2005) proposed to take care of undesirable outputs. The proposed fractional models for stages and overall system are linearized by applying the Charnes and Cooper transformation. Finally, the proposed models are applied to evaluate the efficiency of 11 petroleum wells to identify the main factors determining their productivity, utilizing the data from the 2020 to 2021 period. The results show that the management of resource consumption, especially equipment and capital, is not appropriate and investment is inadequate. Although the depreciation rate of capital facilities in this industry is high, the purpose of the investment is not to upgrade the level of technology.

Rita Shakouri

Maziar Salahi

Malmquist–Luenberger Productivity Index for a Two-Stage Structure in the Presence of Undesirable Outputs and Uncertainty

存在非期望产出和不确定性的两阶段结构下的Malmquist-Luenberger生产率指数

In this review article, we consider discrete-time birth-death processes and their applications to discrete-time queues. To make the analysis simpler to follow, we focus on transform-free methods and consider instances of non-birth-death Markovian discrete-time systems. We present a number of results within one discrete-time framework that parallels the treatment of continuous time models. This approach has two advantages; first, it unifies the treatment of several discrete-time models in one framework, and second, it parallels to the extent possible the treatment of continuous time models. This allows us to draw parallels and contrasts between the discrete and continuous time queues. Specifically, we focus on birth-death applications to the single server discrete-time model with Bernoulli arrivals and geometric service times and provide the reader with a simple rigorous detailed analysis that covers all five scheduling rules considered in the literature, with attention to stationary distributions at slot edges, slot centers, and prearrival epochs. We also cover the waiting time distributions. Moreover, we cover three Markovian models that fit the global balance equations. Our approach provides interesting insights into the behavior of discrete-time queues. The article is intended for those who are familiar with queueing theory basics and would like a simple, yet rigorous introductory treatment to discrete-time queues.

Muhammad El-Taha

A Review of Birth-Death and Other Markovian Discrete-Time Queues

生灭过程及其他马尔可夫离散时间队列综述

This paper investigates predictive process monitoring problems in emergency treatment by combining the fields of process management and artificial intelligence. The objective is to predict the next activity and its timestamp in the treatment of emergency patients who have undergone surgery at the gastroenterology or urology surgery units in a hospital in Norway. To achieve this goal, three models were developed using different algorithms, and the best performing model was identified using various performance metrics. The results demonstrate the potential of predictive process monitoring to accurately forecast the outcome of patient treatments. By leveraging the insights gained from predictive process monitoring, hospitals can make more informed decisions. The findings of this study suggest that predictive process monitoring holds significant promise as a tool for improving the efficiency and effectiveness of emergency patient treatment processes. This research has significant implications for the field of decision sciences, particularly regarding resource allocation, reducing waiting times, and improving patient outcomes. The ability to predict the outcomes of patient treatment processes has important implications for hospitals, allowing the streamlining and acceleration of the treatment process. Overall, this study provides a promising framework for predicting patient treatment processes by using the predictive process monitoring method. This could be expanded upon in future research, ultimately leading to improved patient outcomes and better decision-making in healthcare.

Agaraoli Aravazhi

Berit I. Helgheim

Petter Aadahl

Decision-Making Based on Predictive Process Monitoring of Patient Treatment Processes: A Case Study of Emergency Patients

基于患者治疗过程预测性监控的决策制定：急诊患者案例研究

Abbreviation	Adv. Oper. Res.
Journal Impact	0.60
Quartiles(Global)	OPERATIONS RESEARCH & MANAGEMENT SCIENCE(Q4)

ISSN	1687-9147, 1687-9155
h-index	20

Publication Information	Publisher: Hindawi Publishing Corporation，Publishing cycle: ，Journal Type: journal，Open Access Journals: Yes
Basic data	Year of publication: 2009，Proportion of original research papers: 91.67%，Self Citation Rate:0.00%， Gold OA Rate: 100.00%
Journal Fees	$1080Details
Average review cycle	网友分享经验：19 Weeks

Advances in Operations Research

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An Integer Linear Programming Model for the Examination Timetabling Problem: A Case Study of a University in Thailand

Minimizing Cost Travel in Multimodal Transport Using Advanced Relation Transitive Closure

Measuring Conflicts Using Cardinal Ranking: An Application to Decision Analytic Conflict Evaluations

Multicriteria Evaluation of Urban Regeneration Processes: An Application of PROMETHEE Method in Northern Italy

A New Robust Dynamic Data Envelopment Analysis Approach for Sustainable Supplier Evaluation

The Secure Metric Dimension of the Globe Graph and the Flag Graph

Malmquist–Luenberger Productivity Index for a Two-Stage Structure in the Presence of Undesirable Outputs and Uncertainty

An Integer Linear Programming Model for the Examination Timetabling Problem: A Case Study of a University in Thailand

A Review of Birth-Death and Other Markovian Discrete-Time Queues

Decision-Making Based on Predictive Process Monitoring of Patient Treatment Processes: A Case Study of Emergency Patients