A reduction approach to the repeated assignment problem
We consider the repeated assignment problem (RAP), which is a K-fold repetition of the nn linear assignment problem (LAP), with the additional requirement that no assignment can be repeated more than once. In actual applications K is typically much smaller than n. First, we derive upper and lower bounds respectively by a heuristic together with local search, and an efficient method solving the continuous relaxation. The latter also solves a Lagrangian relaxation, such that the related pegging test, to fix variables at zero or one, decomposes into K independent pegging tests to LAPs. These can be solved exactly by transforming them into all-pairs shortest path problems. Together with these procedures, we also employ a virtual pegging test and reduce RAP in size. Numerical experiments show that the reduced instances, with K?n, can be solved exactly using standard MIP solvers.
repeated assignment problem relaxation pegging test combinatorial optimization