A Neural Network Based Construction Heuristic

Many techniques for solving the Examination Timetabling Problem have been studied over the years. One such successful method is Heuristic Ordering. Examinations are assigned sequentially to the timetable in a predefined order established on the basis of some characteristic of the individual events. Typically events are scheduled by decreasing order of difficulty. This construction heuristic may be used to build an initial solution, often acceptable in its own right, or improved upon by use of an improvement heuristic. Although this technique has proven useful, its success is often determined by the nature of the particular problem and its constraints.