Variable neighborhood tabu search and its application to the median cycle problem

• Published in: European journal of operational research Vol. 151; no. 2; pp. 365 - 378
• Main Authors: Moreno Perez, Jose A, Marcos Moreno-Vega, J, Rodriguez Martin, Inmaculada
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.12.2003; Elsevier; Elsevier Sequoia S.A
• Series: European Journal of Operational Research
• Subjects: Heuristic; Median cycle problem; Searches; Studies; Tabu search; Variable neighborhood; Tabu search; Variable neighborhood; Median cycle problem
• ISSN: 0377-2217; 1872-6860
• DOI: 10.1016/S0377-2217(02)00831-7

The variable neighborhood tabu search consists of a constructive phase and a series of local searches that use tabu tools. When the local search stops at a nontabu local minimum, a shake procedure starts a new local search. The local searches and the shake procedure are based on a series of standard moves. The local search consists of applying the best possible move until no such move exists. The shake procedure consists of applying a number of random moves. Since the shake could provide an infeasible solution, the local search considers as possible moves those providing a feasible solution or reducing the infeasibility. A location/allocation problem consists of selecting the location for some facilities and the allocation of the users to them. Two functions to be minimized are considered: the length of the solution, as a measure of the set of locations, and the total cost of the allocations. The standard moves for these problems are the add, drop and add/drop moves. The heuristic procedure is tested on the median cycle problem.