Machine Scheduling: From Theory to Applications

The organizer of this teaching unit and its evaluation is the Faculty of Management, Economics and Social Sciences of the University of Fribourg. Note that the registration procedure and deadlines are different from the JMCS (see below in the comment field).

How can tasks be efficiently scheduled in factories, projects managed under tight deadlines, or timetables constructed in complex systems such as schools or hospitals? This course will introduce the field of machine scheduling, linking theoretical foundations with practical applications. The course will begin with a review of essential concepts in computational complexity, graphs, and algorithms, followed by the definitions and classification of machine scheduling environments (single-machine, parallel-machine, and dedicated-machine systems). For each environment, the course will examine computational complexity, highlighting the boundary between polynomially solvable and NP-hard cases. Important polynomial cases will be presented together with established efficient algorithms, while NP-hard problems will be addressed through benchmark exact and approximation methods. Applications in manufacturing, project planning, and timetabling will be integrated throughout to demonstrate the practical relevance of scheduling theory.

Details

Code 53129
Type Course
ECTS 5
Site Fribourg
Track(s) T5 – Information Systems and Decision Support
Semester S2026

Teaching

Learning Outcomes

Students will gain the ability to understand theories of machine scheduling, analyze problem complexity, and apply exact and approximation algorithms to design efficient schedules for real-world applications.

Lecturer(s) Nour Elhouda Tellache
Language english
Course Page

The course page can be found at https://www.unifr.ch/timetable/en/course.html?show=128835.

Schedules and Rooms

Period Weekly
Schedule Thursday, 13:15 - 16:00
Location UniFR, PER21
Room G230

Additional information

Comment

First Lecture
The first lecture will be announced later.

Course and Exam Registration
The registration can be done on MyUnifr during the defined registration period. For more details, please have a look here and at the example. Note that there are two different courses (one with 4.5 and one with 5 ECTS) and you have to register for the second one worth 5 ECTS: “EIG.00290 Machine Scheduling: From Theory to Applications (5 ECTS)”

Bibliography

  • Błażewicz, J., Ecker, K.H., Pesch, E., Schmidt, G. and Węglarz, J., 2007. Handbook on scheduling: from theory to applications. Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer Berlin Heidelberg.
  • Pinedo, M. and Hadavi, K., 1992. Scheduling: theory, algorithms and systems development. In Operations research proceedings 1991: Papers of the 20th annual meeting/vorträge der 20. Jahrestagung (pp. 35-42). Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer Berlin Heidelberg.