1. Introduction
Scheduling problems are widely used in manufacturing, logistics, and other practical applications. For a real-word example of our scheduling problems, consider a processing enterprise that has no inventory capacity. As the processing time increases, the processing technology improves. The processing time of the product becomes shorter. The pick-up time of each product is determined by the customer. If the product is produced before the pick-up time or after the pick-up time, an additional delivery fee will be incurred. The delivery price of each early (tardy) job is a fixed charge.
The following three forms of pick-up time are often considered:
- (1)
All products have a uniform delivery time;
- (2)
The pick-up time of each product is related to its own processing time and a constant;
- (3)
Each product has its own independent pick-up time.
The scheduling problem is a very classic discrete combinatorial optimization problem. The methods to solve the scheduling problem mainly include two types: the exact algorithm and approximate algorithm. Exact algorithms mainly include mathematical programming methods, dynamic programming, and branch and bound algorithms. Approximate algorithms mainly include heuristic algorithms and intelligent algorithms. For large-scale non-polynomial time-solvable scheduling problems, intelligent algorithms and machine learning algorithms can be used to solve them. In this paper, a single-machine scheduling problem is considered that contains due dates, the delivery time and learning effect. The actual processing time of a job is a learning function of the previous processing time. The objective function is to minimize the number of early jobs, the number of tardy jobs and due date. Under the common due date, slack due date and different due date, three polynomial time algorithms are proposed to obtain the optimal sequence.
2. Literature Review
In traditional scheduling problems, it is considered that the processing time of jobs is constant. However, in reality, the processing time is often reduced with the increase in workers’ skills and abilities. That means the processing time is no longer a constant. In 2011, Cheng et al. developed the branch-and-bound algorithm and simulated an annealing algorithm in order to study the single-machine scheduling problem with a learning effect and truncation processing time [
1]. In 2013, Li et al. analyzed the polynomial time algorithm of the single-machine scheduling problem with a truncation processing time [
2]. In 2013, Cheng et al. used a genetic algorithm and branch-and-bound algorithm to solve the two-machine flow-shop scheduling problem with a truncated learning function [
3]. In 2016, Wu and Wang studied a single-machine scheduling problem with a learning effect and delivery times [
4]. In 2017, Wang et al. solved the single-machine scheduling problem with resource allocation and deterioration effects by using the polynomial time algorithm [
5]. In 2018, Wu et al. studied a two-stage scheduling problem with a position-based learning effect [
6]. In 2018, Yin studied a single-scheduling problem with resource allocation and a learning effect [
7]. In 2020, Zhang studied the scheduling problem with the sum-of-processing-times-based learning effect [
8]. In 2020, Qian et al. designed a heuristic algorithm to study the single-scheduling problem with release times and a learning factor [
9]. In 2020, Zou et al. studied a multi-machine scheduling problem with the sum-of-processing-times-based learning effect [
10]. In 2021, Wu et al. studied a flow-shop scheduling problem with a truncated learning function [
11].
In the field of scheduling, the delivery time has attracted extensive attention. The extra time required for a completed job to be delivered to the customer is called the
p ast-sequence-dependent (psd) delivery time. In 2011, Yang et al. studied a single-machine scheduling problem with delivery times and a learning effect [
12]. In 2012, Yang et al. studied a single-machine scheduling problem with delivery times and position-dependent processing times [
13]. In 2013, Liu studied a scheduling problem with delivery times and deteriorating jobs [
14]. In 2014, Zhao et al. studied a single-machine scheduling problem with delivery times and general position-dependent processing times [
15]. In 2021, Qian et al. studied a single-machine scheduling problem with delivery times and deteriorating jobs [
16].
In actual production scheduling, the jobs often have due dates. If a job is completed ahead of the due date, it will have an earliness cost; if a job is completed behind the due date, it will have a tardiness cost. In 2013, Yin et al. studied a single-machine scheduling problem with a due date, delivery times and learning effect [
17]. In 2014, Lu et al. studied a single-machine scheduling problem with a due date, learning effect and resource allocation [
18]. In 2015, Li et al. studied a single-machine scheduling problem with a slack due window, learning effect and resource allocation [
19]. In 2016, Sun et al. studied a single-machine scheduling problem with a due date and convex resource allocation [
20]. In 2019, Geng et al. studied a flow-shop scheduling problem with a common due date, resource allocation and learning effect [
21]. In 2020, Liu et al. studied a single-machine scheduling problem with a due date, learning effect and resource allocation [
22]. In 2021, Tian studied a single-machine scheduling problem with resource allocation and generalized earliness–tardiness penalties [
23]. In 2021, Wang studied a single-machine scheduling problem with proportional setup times and earliness–tardiness penalties [
24]. In 1996, Lann et al. studied a single-machine scheduling problem whose goal was to minimize the number of early and tardy jobs [
25]. In 2017, Yuan studied a single-machine scheduling problem to minimize the number of tardy jobs [
26]. In 2021, Hermelin studied a single-machine scheduling problem to minimize the weighted number of tardy jobs [
27].
The problem is described in the
Section 3. The research methods are discussed in the
Section 4. Discussion of results is in the
Section 5. The conclusion is given in the
Section 6.
5. Discussion of Results
5.1. Numerical Discussion
In this section, we used an example to show the calculation process for three different due dates.
Example 1. There were five jobs processed sequentially on the same machine. The processing time of each job is shown in the Table 2, Table 3, Table 4, Table 5, Table 6, Table 7, Table 8, Table 9, Table 10, Table 11, Table 12, Table 13, Table 14, Table 15, Table 16, Table 17, Table 18, Table 19 and Table 20 below: , , , , , .
Solution 1:
First step: . The processing sequence of jobs: .
Second step:
- (1)
When , , ;
- (2)
When , , ;
- (3)
When , , ;
- (4)
When , , ;
- (5)
When , , ;
- (6)
When , , .
Third step: The optimal due date was 1.
Solution 2:
First step: . The processing sequence of jobs: .
Second step:
- (1)
When , , ;
- (2)
When , , ;
- (3)
When , , ;
- (4)
When , , ;
- (5)
When , , ,
Third step: The optimal q was 0.
Solution 3:
First step: . The processing sequence of jobs: .
Second step: .
5.2. Extension
In the learning effect scheduling model, the learning index
a was less than 0. If
, it became the forgetting effect scheduling model.
where
. The same method could prove the following conclusions. When
, the optimal sequence was obtained by the longest processing time order. When
, the optimal sequence was obtained by the shortest processing time order. Take Example 1 above as an example to show the algorithmic process of the forgetting effect scheduling model (CON).
Solution 4: where .
First step: . The processing sequence of jobs: .
Second step:
- (1)
When , , ;
- (2)
When , , ;
- (3)
When , , ;
- (4)
When , , ;
- (5)
When , , ;
- (6)
When , , .
Third step: The optimal due date was 0.
6. Conclusions
Under the common due date, slack due date and different due date, a single-machine scheduling problem with delivery times and the truncated sum-of-processing-times-based learning effect was studied in this paper. The goal was to minimize the total costs that comprised the number of early jobs, the number of tardy jobs and the due date. Under different due dates, three polynomial time algorithms were proposed to obtain the optimal sequence and due dates, whose complexity was . The optimal sequence was arranged in an ascending order of processing time. We gave three examples to show the calculation process of the algorithms. In the future, the multi-machine environment could be considered to expand the research, i.e., a flow-shop scheduling problem with a delivery time, truncated sum-of-processing-times-based learning effect and due dates could be considered whether there were polynomial time algorithms. The truncated sum-of-processing-times-based forgetting effect was also studied in the single-machine scheduling environment.