A Visual Entity-Relationship Model for Constraint-Based University Timetabling
Abstract
University timetabling (UTT) is a complex problem due to its combinatorial nature but also the type of constraints involved. The holy grail of (constraint) programming: "the user states the problem the program solves it" remains a challenge since solution quality is tightly coupled with deriving "effective models", best handled by technology experts. In this paper, focusing on the field of university timetabling, we introduce a visual graphic communication tool that lets the user specify her problem in an abstract manner, using a visual entity-relationship model. The entities are nodes of mainly two types: resource nodes (lecturers, assistants, student groups) and events nodes (lectures, lab sessions, tutorials). The links between the nodes signify a desired relationship between them. The visual modeling abstraction focuses on the nature of the entities and their relationships and abstracts from an actual constraint model.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.1109.6112,
title = {A Visual Entity-Relationship Model for Constraint-Based University Timetabling},
author = {Islam Abdelraouf and Slim Abdennadher and Carmen Gervet},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1109.6112},
year = {2015}
}
Comments
12 pages, 7 figures, INAP 2011