ExecutiveSummaryofClassSchedulerSystem

Scenario
Let's consider a college which is offering multiple courses during a semester at different
times in day. Let's say the courses and time at which these courses offered are as
follows.

ID Course
Name
1 Oracle
2 J ava
3 SQL
4 PL/SQL
5 .Net
6 Perl
Table 1
ID Time
1 7AM - 9AM
2 9AM - 11 AM
3 1 PM - 3 PM
4 3 PM - 5 PM
5 7 PM - 9 PM
6 6PM - 8 PM
Table 2

Students are allowed to provide three preferences for course and time. The following
table describes students and their three preferences of course and time.

Student ID C_pref1 C_pref2 C_pref3 t_pref1 t_pref2 t_pref3 Status
1 1 3 2 4 1 4 N
2 3 3 3 2 4 1 N
3 2 1 5 1 1 1 N
4 3 1 5 1 1 1 N
5 4 3 2 1 2 1 N
6 1 1 5 1 3 1 N
7 3 1 5 4 1 1 N
8 2 1 5 1 2 1 N
9 3 1 5 3 1 2 N
10 1 3 5 3 1 2 N
11 3 1 5 3 1 2 N
12 1 2 5 1 3 2 N


Table 3
c_pref1,c_pref2,c_pref3 =Are the course preferences of students. For example student
id =1 chooses course# 1 , 3 and 2 as his/her first, second and third preferences.
t_pref1,t_pref2,t_pref3 =Are the time preferences of students. For example student id =
1 chooses time# 4,1 and 4 as his/her first, second and third preferences

Question: Create a group of 4 students whose cumulative preferences of course and time
matches the best.
2009 Oresoft LWC

Proposed Solution
Step 1 : Find out the unique course and time preferences that students are interested in.
Only consider those students whose status is 'N'.
Unique Course ID:
Student IDC_pref1 C_pref2 C_pref3
1 1 3 2
2 3 3 3
3 2 1 5
4 3 1 5
5 4 3 2
6 1 1 5
7 3 1 5
8 2 1 5
9 3 1 5
10 1 3 5
11 3 1 5
12 1 2 5


From the above the unique course ids are { 1,2,3,5,4}

Unique Time ID:

Student ID t_pref1 t_pref2 t_pref3
1 4 1 4
2 2 4 1
3 1 1 1
4 1 1 1
5 1 2 1
6 1 3 1
7 4 1 1
8 1 2 1
9 3 1 2
10 3 1 2
11 3 1 2
12 1 3 2


From the above the unique time ids are { 4,1,2,3,}



2009 Oresoft LWC

Step 2 : Find out the unique combinations of course and time that students are
interested in.
From step 1 we got the unique course ids and time ids. Now let's make a combination
of course and time ids.

Course
1
2
3
5
4

X
Time
4
1
2
3
Course , time
(1,4),(1,1),(1,2),(1,3)
(2,4),( 2,1),( 2,2),( 2,3)
(3,4),( 3,1),( 3,2),( 3,3)
(5,4),( 5,1),( 5,2),( 5,3)
(4,4),(4,1),(4,2),(4,3)

5 types

4 types

20 combinations of course and time


Step 3: Calculate satisfication indexe for each course and time combination for each
student.

Satisfication index(SI): SI measures how satisfied a student would be for a course and time
combination. Let's take following examples.

If we choose to combination of course and time of (1,1)

ID Course
Choice
Time
Choice
Course Satisfication Time Satisfication
Student 1 (1,3,2) (4,1,4) Very satisfied (100)
as we match his first choice.
Moderately satisfied(66)
As we match only the
second choice.
Student 2 (3,3,3) (2,4,1) Zero Satisfied.
As no choices matched
Least satisfied as we
match the third pref.
..... ..... ..... ..... .....

Based on the above example we will follow the rules below to calculate cumulative SI of a
student based on course and time preferences.

If the course given matches with first choice of student then he will be 100% happy hence assign
100.
If the course given matches with second choice of student then he will be 66% happy hence
assign 66.
If the course given matches with third choice of student then he will be 33% happy hence assign
33.
If the course given matches with first and second choices of students then assign 100 ( as first
choice matches) +66 ( as second choice matches).


2009 Oresoft LWC


Sample SI calculation: The following table illustartes SI calculation for combination ids.

Course Time
Combination
Student
Id
Course
Pref
Time
Pref
SI-
Course
SI - Time Net SI
1 1,3,2 4,1,4 100 133 233
2 3,3,3 2,4,1 0 66 66
3 2,1,5 1,1,1 66 0 66
4 3,1,5 1,1,1 66 0 66
5 4,3,2 1,2,1 0 0 0
6 1,1,5 1,3,1 166 0 166
7 3,1,5 4,1,1 66 100 166
8 2,1,5 1,2,1 66 0 66
9 3,1,5 3,1,2 66 0 66
10 1,3,5 3,1,2 100 0 100
11 3,1,5 3,1,2 66 0 66



1,4






12 1,2,5 1,3,2 100 0 100
1 1,3,2 4,1,4 100 66 166
2 3,3,3 2,4,1 0 33 33
3 2,1,5 1,1,1 66 199 265
4 3,1,5 1,1,1 66 199 265
5 4,3,2 1,2,1 0 133 133
6 1,1,5 1,3,1 166 133 299
7 3,1,5 4,1,1 66 99 165
8 2,1,5 1,2,1 66 133 199




1,1





9 3,1,5 3,1,2 66 66 132
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10 1,3,5 3,1,2 100 66 166
11 3,1,5 3,1,2 66 66 132

12 1,2,5 1,3,2 100 100 200
1 1,3,2 4,1,4 100 0 100
2 3,3,3 2,4,1 0 100 100
3 2,1,5 1,1,1 66 0 66
4 3,1,5 1,1,1 66 0 66
5 4,3,2 1,2,1 0 66 66
6 1,1,5 1,3,1 166 0 166
7 3,1,5 4,1,1 66 0 66
8 2,1,5 1,2,1 66 66 132
9 3,1,5 3,1,2 66 33 99
10 1,3,5 3,1,2 100 33 133
11 3,1,5 3,1,2 66 33 99





1,2



12 1,2,5 1,3,2 100 33 133
1 1,3,2 4,1,4 100 0 100
2 3,3,3 2,4,1 0 0 0
3 2,1,5 1,1,1 66 0 66
4 3,1,5 1,1,1 66 0 66
5 4,3,2 1,2,1 0 0 0
6 1,1,5 1,3,1 166 66 232
7 3,1,5 4,1,1 66 0 66
8 2,1,5 1,2,1 66 0 66






1,3
9 3,1,5 3,1,2 66 100 166
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10 1,3,5 3,1,2 100 100 200
11 3,1,5 3,1,2 66 100 166


Ste

Ste

12 1,2,5 1,3,2 100 66 166
Step 4 : Choose top 4 net scores for each combination categories and the average the net
scores.

The following table shows average net score of top 4 students for each combination
ids
Combination Student
ID
Course
Pref
Time Pref SI -
Course
SI
Time
Net SI Average
1 1,3,2 4,1,4 100 133 233
6 1,1,5 1,3,1 166 0 166
7 3,1,5 4,1,1 66 100 166 166.25
10 1,3,5 3,1,2 100 0 100
12 1,2,5 1,3,2 100 0 100
2 3,3,3 2,4,1 0 66 66
3 2,1,5 1,1,1 66 0 66
4 3,1,5 1,1,1 66 0 66
8 2,1,5 1,2,1 66 0 66
9 3,1,5 3,1,2 66 0 66
11 3,1,5 3,1,2 66 0 66





1,4
5 4,3,2 1,2,1 0 0 0



2009 Oresoft LWC





Combination Student
ID
Course
Pref
Time Pref SI -
Course
SI
Time
Net SI Average
6 1,1,5 1,3,1 166 133 299
3 2,1,5 1,1,1 66 199 265
4 3,1,5 1,1,1 66 199 265 257.25
12 1,2,5 1,3,2 100 100 200
8 2,1,5 1,2,1 66 133 199
1 1,3,2 4,1,4 100 66 166
10 1,3,5 3,1,2 100 66 166
7 3,1,5 4,1,1 66 99 165
5 4,3,2 1,2,1 0 133 133
9 3,1,5 3,1,2 66 66 132
11 3,1,5 3,1,2 66 66 132





1,1
2 3,3,3 2,4,1 0 33 33


Combination Student
ID
Course
Pref
Time Pref SI -
Course
SI
Time
Net SI Average
6 1,1,5 1,3,1 166 66 232
10 1,3,5 3,1,2 100 100 200



9 3,1,5 3,1,2 66 100 166 199
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11 3,1,5 3,1,2 66 100 166
12 1,2,5 1,3,2 100 66 166
1 1,3,2 4,1,4 100 0 100
3 2,1,5 1,1,1 66 0 66
4 3,1,5 1,1,1 66 0 66
7 3,1,5 4,1,1 66 0 66
8 2,1,5 1,2,1 66 0 66
2 3,3,3 2,4,1 0 0 0



1,3
5 4,3,2 1,2,1 0 0 0




Step 5: Choose the best combination based on average net score

Once the average net scores are calculated in step 4. Take the combination which has the best
average net score. In case of a tie then choose randomly from one of the tied combinations.

In the above example I have combination (1,1) have the best average. Hence we will choose
combination (1,1) and the student ids are 6,10,9 and 11.

Hence the best group to form with 4 students = 6,10,9 and 11 and they will study course =1
(oracle) at time=1 ( 7AM to 9AM)

Step 6: Update the status of students who are scheduled.

Update the status of students who got an allocation in step 5 to Y. So that they are not eligible for
next group allocation.