9.8. Allocate Entity From Queue

9.8.1. Algorithm Description

Allocate Entity From Queue is a versatile, generic form of First Fit, First Fit Decreasing, Weakest Fit and Weakest Fit Decreasing. It works like this:

  1. Put all entities in a queue.
  2. Assign the first entity (from that queue) to the best value.
  3. Repeat until all entities are assigned.

9.8.2. Configuration

Simple configuration: 

  <constructionHeuristic>
    <constructionHeuristicType>ALLOCATE_ENTITY_FROM_QUEUE</constructionHeuristicType>
  </constructionHeuristic>

Verbose simple configuration: 

  <constructionHeuristic>
    <constructionHeuristicType>ALLOCATE_ENTITY_FROM_QUEUE</constructionHeuristicType>
    <entitySorterManner>DECREASING_DIFFICULTY_IF_AVAILABLE</entitySorterManner>
    <valueSorterManner>INCREASING_STRENGTH_IF_AVAILABLE</valueSorterManner>
  </constructionHeuristic>

The entitySorterManner options are:

  • DECREASING_DIFFICULTY: Initialize the more difficult planning entities first. This usually increases pruning (and therefore improves scalability). Requires the model to support planning entity difficulty comparison.
  • DECREASING_DIFFICULTY_IF_AVAILABLE (default): If the model supports planning entity difficulty comparison, behave like DECREASING_DIFFICULTY, else like NONE.
  • NONE: Initialize the planning entities in original order.

The valueSorterManner options are:

Advanced detailed configuration. For example, a Weakest Fit Decreasing configuration for a single entity class with a single variable: 

  <constructionHeuristic>
    <queuedEntityPlacer>
      <entitySelector id="placerEntitySelector">
        <cacheType>PHASE</cacheType>
        <selectionOrder>SORTED</selectionOrder>
        <sorterManner>DECREASING_DIFFICULTY</sorterManner>
      </entitySelector>
      <changeMoveSelector>
        <entitySelector mimicSelectorRef="placerEntitySelector"/>
        <valueSelector>
          <cacheType>PHASE</cacheType>
          <selectionOrder>SORTED</selectionOrder>
          <sorterManner>INCREASING_STRENGTH</sorterManner>
        </valueSelector>
      </changeMoveSelector>
    </queuedEntityPlacer>
  </constructionHeuristic>

Per step, the QueuedEntityPlacer selects 1 uninitialized entity from the EntitySelector and applies the winning Move (out of all the moves for that entity generated by the MoveSelector). The mimic selection ensures that the winning Move changes (only) the selected entity.

To customize the entity or value sorting, see sorted selection. Other Selector customization (such as filtering and limiting) is supported too.

9.8.3. Multiple Variables

There are 2 ways to deal with multiple variables, depending on how their ChangeMoves are combined:

  • Cartesian product of the ChangeMoves (default): All variables of the selected entity are assigned together. Has far better results (especially for timetabling use cases).
  • Sequential ChangeMoves: One variable is assigned at a time. Scales much better, especially for 3 or more variables.

For example, presume a course scheduling example with 200 rooms and 40 periods.

This First Fit configuration for a single entity class with 2 variables, using a cartesian product of their ChangeMoves, will select 8000 moves per entity: 

  <constructionHeuristic>
    <queuedEntityPlacer>
      <entitySelector id="placerEntitySelector">
        <cacheType>PHASE</cacheType>
      </entitySelector>
      <cartesianProductMoveSelector>
        <changeMoveSelector>
          <entitySelector mimicSelectorRef="placerEntitySelector"/>
          <valueSelector>
            <variableName>room</variableName>
          </valueSelector>
        </changeMoveSelector>
        <changeMoveSelector>
          <entitySelector mimicSelectorRef="placerEntitySelector"/>
          <valueSelector>
            <variableName>period</variableName>
          </valueSelector>
        </changeMoveSelector>
      </cartesianProductMoveSelector>
    </queuedEntityPlacer>
    ...
  </constructionHeuristic>
Warning

With 3 variables of 1000 values each, a Cartesian product selects 1 000 000 000 values per entity, which will take far too long.

This First Fit configuration for a single entity class with 2 variables, using sequential ChangeMoves, will select 240 moves per entity: 

  <constructionHeuristic>
    <queuedEntityPlacer>
      <entitySelector id="placerEntitySelector">
        <cacheType>PHASE</cacheType>
      </entitySelector>
      <changeMoveSelector>
        <entitySelector mimicSelectorRef="placerEntitySelector"/>
        <valueSelector>
          <variableName>period</variableName>
        </valueSelector>
      </changeMoveSelector>
      <changeMoveSelector>
        <entitySelector mimicSelectorRef="placerEntitySelector"/>
        <valueSelector>
          <variableName>room</variableName>
        </valueSelector>
      </changeMoveSelector>
    </queuedEntityPlacer>
    ...
  </constructionHeuristic>
Important

Especially for sequential ChangeMoves, the order of the variables is important. In the example above, it’s better to select the period first (instead of the other way around), because there are more hard constraints that do not involve the room (for example: no teacher should teach 2 lectures at the same time). Let the Benchmarker guide you.

With 3 or more variables, it’s possible to combine the Cartesian product and sequential techniques: 

  <constructionHeuristic>
    <queuedEntityPlacer>
      ...
      <cartesianProductMoveSelector>
        <changeMoveSelector>...</changeMoveSelector>
        <changeMoveSelector>...</changeMoveSelector>
      </cartesianProductMoveSelector>
      <changeMoveSelector>...</changeMoveSelector>
    </queuedEntityPlacer>
    ...
  </constructionHeuristic>

9.8.4. Multiple Entity Classes

The easiest way to deal with multiple entity classes is to run a separate construction heuristic for each entity class: 

  <constructionHeuristic>
    <queuedEntityPlacer>
      <entitySelector id="placerEntitySelector">
        <cacheType>PHASE</cacheType>
        <entityClass>...DogEntity</entityClass>
      </entitySelector>
      <changeMoveSelector>
        <entitySelector mimicSelectorRef="placerEntitySelector"/>
      </changeMoveSelector>
    </queuedEntityPlacer>
    ...
  </constructionHeuristic>
  <constructionHeuristic>
    <queuedEntityPlacer>
      <entitySelector id="placerEntitySelector">
        <cacheType>PHASE</cacheType>
        <entityClass>...CatEntity</entityClass>
      </entitySelector>
      <changeMoveSelector>
        <entitySelector mimicSelectorRef="placerEntitySelector"/>
      </changeMoveSelector>
    </queuedEntityPlacer>
    ...
  </constructionHeuristic>

9.8.5. Pick Early Type

There are several pick early types for Construction Heuristics:

  • NEVER: Evaluate all the selected moves to initialize the variable(s). This is the default if the InitializingScoreTrend is not ONLY_DOWN. 

      <constructionHeuristic>
    ...
    <forager>
      <pickEarlyType>NEVER</pickEarlyType>
    </forager>
  </constructionHeuristic>

  • FIRST_NON_DETERIORATING_SCORE: Initialize the variable(s) with the first move that doesn’t deteriorate the score, ignore the remaining selected moves. This is the default if the InitializingScoreTrend is ONLY_DOWN. 

      <constructionHeuristic>
    ...
    <forager>
      <pickEarlyType>FIRST_NON_DETERIORATING_SCORE</pickEarlyType>
    </forager>
  </constructionHeuristic>
    Note

    If there are only negative constraints, but the InitializingScoreTrend is strictly not ONLY_DOWN, it can sometimes make sense to apply FIRST_NON_DETERIORATING_SCORE. Use the Benchmarker to decide if the score quality loss is worth the time gain.

  • FIRST_FEASIBLE_SCORE: Initialize the variable(s) with the first move that has a feasible score. 

      <constructionHeuristic>
    ...
    <forager>
      <pickEarlyType>FIRST_FEASIBLE_SCORE</pickEarlyType>
    </forager>
  </constructionHeuristic>

    If the InitializingScoreTrend is ONLY_DOWN, use FIRST_FEASIBLE_SCORE_OR_NON_DETERIORATING_HARD instead, because that’s faster without any disadvantages.

  • FIRST_FEASIBLE_SCORE_OR_NON_DETERIORATING_HARD: Initialize the variable(s) with the first move that doesn’t deteriorate the feasibility of the score any further. 

      <constructionHeuristic>
    ...
    <forager>
      <pickEarlyType>FIRST_FEASIBLE_SCORE_OR_NON_DETERIORATING_HARD</pickEarlyType>
    </forager>
  </constructionHeuristic>