ASSIGNMENT PROBLEM

Let there are n sources and n destinations, which will be called the row item and column item. Let
there be 1:1 correspondence between row and column item i.e. a row item can be connected with
only one column item.
Let Cij denote the amount or value or cost if the row i and column j are connected. Let Z be the
total value when all row items are connected with column items.
The assignment problem is defined as the determination of the mode of connecting row and
column such that the total value Z becomes minimum/maximum as required in a particular
situation. The mode of such choice of connection is called the optimal solution of assignment
problem.
Rules
(1) Subtract smallest number in each row from all elements in that row and the results in the form of a
new matrix.
(2) Using the new matrix, subtract the smallest number in each column from all others in that
column again forming a new matrix.
(3) Check to see if there is a zero for each row or column and draw the minimum number of
lines necessary to cover all the zeroes in the matrix.
(4) If number .of lines < order of matrix, modify the matrix again by adding the smallest
uncovered number to all values at line intersection and subtract it from each uncovered
number including itself. Leave the others (lined out) remains unchanged.
(5) Check the matrix again via Zero covering lines i.e. go to step 3 and 4 until number of
lines=order of matrix. Optimal assignments are obtained.
Solve the following assignment problems:
(1) An office wants to buy two types of pens R1 and R2 from two contractors C1 and C2. The
offers by C1 are Rs.5 and Rs. 4 for R1 and R2 respectively while the offer of C2 are Rs. 5.40
and Rs. 3.75 for them. Determine the mode of assignments of the pens to the contractors
by the office so that the cost of the office will be minimum.
(2) A=[Cij] = 8 4 2 6 1
(3) A=[Cij] = 160 130 175 190 200
0 9 5 5 4
135 120 130 160 175
3 8 9 2 6
140 110 155 170 185
4 3 1 0 3
50 50 80 80 110
9 5 8 9 5
55 35 70 80 105
(4) A car hiring company has one car at each of five depots C1, C2, C3, C4, C5. A customer in each of
five towns R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, requires a car. The distance (in kilometers) between the depots (origins)
and the towns (destinations) of the customers are given in the distance matrix A as in problem (3).
Determine how the cars be assigned to the customers so as to minimize the total distance traveled by
the cars.
Solve the assignment problems of maximization whose matrix A=[Cij] is as follows.
(1) A=[Cij] = 5.00 5.40 5.25
(2) A=[Cij] = 42 35 28 21
4.00 3.75 3.15
30 25 20 15
3.25 3.20 4.05
30 25 20 15
24 20 16 12
(3) A=[Cij] = 5 11 10 12 4
2 4 6 3 5
3 12 5 14 6
6 14 4 11 7
7 9 8 12 5

(4) A=[Cij] = 16
14
15
13

10
11
15
12

14
15
13
14

11
15
12
15

Crew Assignment
1. In the regular transport services as in bus, train, air services etc., the cost of the company increase
with the increase of the number of hours spent by a crew actually on the vehicle and on the
waiting time in the out-stations between two subsequent trips between the two places of service.
To minimize the cost, the time period spent by a crew in vehicles and out-stations is to be
minimized by the proper adjustment of duty of a crew. Such a problem is called is called the crew
assignment problem.
2. The restriction on the crew assignment may be of various types. One of them is to allow a
minimum period of rest time between two trips at the outstation. The other may be that a crew
must be allotted at least one outward cum-inward trip within the twenty four hours to run a
regular daily service, and so on. In such assignments, there is no need of distinguishing between
the capacities of the individual crews, i.e., any crew may be appointed in any trip (unless
otherwise required). However, a crew must be allotted his permanent residence at the place from
which he has to start his outward trip.
3. In such a problem, a table is to be prepared which shows the smaller out-station time period spent
by a crew in his every outward-cum-inward trip. Then the optimal (minimal) solution
corresponding to the table is to be determined by the reduced matrix-method. In general, the time
period of a trip between the two places of service is prescribed. Hence, only the out-station rest
time of a crew is to be minimized.
Problem1.
A bus transport company runs five regular daily bus services between Calcutta(C) and Digha(D), a
distance of six hours bus journey. There are only five crews. The constraint is that a crew must have an
outstation rest period of more than four hours but not more than twenty-four hours. There is no need of
giving any preference to the efficiency of any crew. The company has staff residence in both places. The
timetable of the bus services is given below. Determine which crew should be assigned to which outward
trip and to which inward trip to minimize the out-station rest time. Also find the total minimum rest time.
Trip No
C1
C2
C3
C4
C5
Departure hour from Calcutta
Arrival hour at Digha

6.00
12.00

7.30
13.30

11.30
17.30

19.00
1.00

0.30
6.30

Trip No
D1
D2
D3
D4
D5
Departure hour from Digha
5.30
9.00
15.00 18.30
0.00
Arrival hour at Calcutta
11.30 15.00 21.00 0.30
6.00
Problem2
A small aero plane company operating seven days a week, serves the cities A and B, and also A and C
according to the schedule shown in the following table. The layover cost per stop is roughly proportional
to the square of the layover time. How should the planes be assigned to the flights so as to minimize the
total layover cost?
Flight No. & Index Departure Place & Time Arrival Place & Time
A1B
A,9 A.M.
B,Noon
A2B
A,10 A.M.
B,1 P.M.
A3B
A,3 P.M.
B,6 P.M.
A4C
A,8 P.M.
C, Midnight
A5C
A,10 P.M.
C,2 A.M.
B1A
B,4 A.M.
A,7 A.M.
B2A
B,11 A.M.
A,2 P.M.
B3A
B,3 P.M.
A,6 P.M.
C1A
C,7 A.M.
A,11 A.M.
C2A
C,3 P.M.
A,7 P.M.

Application of Transportation and Assignment problem

Problem1 A company has 4 territories and four salesmen for the assignment . The territories are not
equally rich in their sales potential. It is estimated that a typical salesman operating in each territory
would bring the following annual sales.
Territory
I
II
III
IV
Annual Sales in
60,000 50,000 40,000 30,000
Rs.
The 4 salesmen are also considered to differ in ability. It is estimated that working in same conditions,
their yearly sales would be proportionate as follows:
Salesmen
A
B
C
D
Proportion
0.7
0.5
0.5
0.4
If the criteria are to maximize expected sales, the intuitive answer is to assign the best salesman to the
richest territory, the next best salesman to the second richest territory and so on. Verify this answer by the
assignment technique.
Problem2
A traveling salesman has to visit 5 cities. He wishes to start from a particular city, visit each city once and
then return to his starting point. The traveling cost for each city from a particular city is given below.
From City
A
B
C
D
E

4
7
3
4

B
4
6
3
4

To City
C
7
6

7
5

D
3
3
7

E
4
4
5
7

What is a sequence of visit of the salesman, so that cost is minimum?

Problem3 (Degeneracy in a Transportation Problem)
A company has three plants A, B, C and three ware houses X, Y, Z. The number of units available at the
plants are 60, 70, 80 respectively. The demands at X, Y, Z are 50, 80, and 80 respectively. The unit costs
of transportation are as follows:
A
B
C

X
8
3
11

Y
7
8
3

Z
3
9
5

Find the allocation so that total transportation cost is minimum.

Problem4(Multiple Optimal Solutions)
A company has four jobs, the following matrix show the cost of assigning each job to each machine.
Jobs

M1

W1
W2
W3
W4

40
30
25
39

Machines
M2
M3
Manufacturing cost(Rs.)
50
60
38
46
33
41
45
51

M4
65
48
43
59

How should the jobs be assigned to the machines to minimize total cost?
Problem 5.
An engineering workshop has five lathes (L1 to L5) and five operators (O1 to O5) to man these lathes. The
workshop is involved in producing a standard part which is required in large quantity. Since the operators
have varying skills and machines have different efficiencies, the weekly output for standard part differs
for various possible combinations of operators to lathes. The weekly output of lathes in terms of number
of pieces of a standard part is given below:

Problem5(continued)
Operators
L1
30
29
33
31
32

O1
O2
O3
O4
O5

Lathes
L3
37
39
45
41
41

L2
33
33
38
34
38

L4
42
44
49
47
46

L5
46
50
44
52
51

(a) Final the optimal allocation of operators to lathes and output per week.
(b) If the profit per unit the part is Rs. 20, calculate total profit per week.
(c) If during a particular week, operators O4 is not available for work, how does it affect
weekly output and profit? Which lathe will have to be kept idle during the week?
(d) Will reallocation of lathes when operator O4 is absent improve profit? Ifyes, find the
optimal allocation.
Problem 6. A solicitors firm employs typists on hourly price-rate basis for their daily work. There are
five typists for service and their charges and speeds are different. According to an earlier understanding,
only one job is given tone typist and the typist is paid for full hour even if he works for a fraction of an
hour.
Typist

Rate per
hour(Rs.)

A
B
C
D
E

5
6
3
4
4

No. of
pages
typed per
hour
12
14
8
10
11

Job

No. of
pages

P
Q
R
S
T

190
170
145
190
180

Find least cost of allocation for the following data.

Problem 7.
The production cost of products P1 ,P2,P3,P4 and P5 per unit made on machines M1,M2,M3,M4 and M5 are
tabulated below:
Machines
M1
M2
M3
M4
M5

P1
50
60
40
35
40

P2
80
30
40
40
45

Products
P3
30
40
50
30
50

P4
40
40
45
35
45

P5
45
50
35
50
45

Selling prices per unit are as follows:

P1=Rs. 80, P2=Rs.90, P3=Rs. 105, P4 = Rs.70 and P5 = Rs.65
Decide which product should be made on which machine to realize maximum profit.