ASSIGNMENT PROBLEMS

SOUMENDRA ROY
 INTRODUCTION
• The assignment problem refers to another special
class of LPP where its objective is to assign a
number of resources to an equal number of
activities on a one – to – one basis so as to minimize
the total costs of performing the tasks at hand or
maximize the total profit of allocation.
FEW APPLICATIONS OF THE ASSIGNMENT MODEL
• Assign people to sales territories
• Assign vehicles to routes
• Assign accountants to client accounts
• Assign contracts to bidders through systematic evaluation of
bids from competing suppliers
• Assign naval vessels to war sectors
• Assign development engineers to several construction sites
• Schedule teachers to classes, etc.
• Men are matched to machines according to pieces produced
per hour by each individual on each machine
• Teams are matched to projects by the expected cost of each
team to accomplish each project
 MATHEMATICAL FORMULATION
• Minimize Z = ΣΣ cij. Xij
Subject to constraints
xi1 + xi2 + ……. + xin = 1 or Σ xij = 1, for all i (resource
availability)
xij + x2j + …….. + xnj = 1 or Σ xij = 1, for all j (activity

requirement)
and xij = 0 or 1, for all I and j
SOLUTION METHODS OF ASSIGNMENT PROBLEM
• Complete Enumeration Method

• Simplex Method

• Transportation Method

• Hungarian Method (Minimization case)

ASSIGNMENT ALGORITHM (HUNGARIAN
METHOD)
• Step 1: Develop the Opportunity Cost Table
a. Row reduction: Subtract the minimum entry of each row from
all the entries of the respective row in the cost matrix
b. Column reduction: After completion of row reduction,
subtract the minimum entry of each column from all the
entries of the respective column
• Step 2: Make assignments in the Opportunity Cost Matrix.
a. Starting with first row of the matrix received in first step,
examine the rows successively one by one until a row
containing exactly one zero is found, then an experimental
assignment indicated by is marked to that zero. Now cross
(x) all the zero in the column in which the assignment is made.
This procedure is adopted for all row assignment.
ASSIGNMENT ALGORITHM (HUNGARIAN METHOD)
b. When the se of rows has been completely examined, an
identical procedure is applied successively to columns.
Starting with column 1, examine all columns until a column
containing exactly one zero is found. Then make a
experimental assignment in that position and cross (x)
other zeros in the row in which the assignment was made.
Continue these successive operations on row and columns
until all zeros have either been assigned or crossed – out.
c. If for a row and for a column there are two or more zeros
and one cannot be chosen for inspection, choose the
assigned zero cell arbitrarily.
d. Repeat the operations of (a) to (c) successively until one of
the following situation arises
 ASSIGNMENT ALGORITHM (HUNGARIAN METHOD)
• Step 3: Optimality Criterion
i. If all the zeros in rows/columns are either marked with box ( ) or
cross (x) and there is exactly one assignment in each row and in each
column. In such a case optimal assignment policy for the given
problem is obtained.
ii. There may be some row (or column) without assignment, i.e., the
total number of marked zeros is less than the order to cover all zeros
of the matrix. In such a case, proceed to Step 4.
• Step 4: Revise the Opportunity Cost Matrix:
Draw the minimum number of vertical and horizontal lines necessary
to cover all zeros in the reduced matrix obtained from Step 2 by
adopting the following procedure:
i. Mark check (√) to all those rows where no assignment has been made
ii. Examine the checked (√) rows. If any assigned zero cell occurs in these
rows, check (√) the respective columns that contain those zeros.
 ASSIGNMENT ALGORITHM (HUNGARIAN METHOD)
iii. Examine the checked (√) columns. If any assigned cell
occurs in those columns, check (√) the respective rows
that contain those assigned zeros.
iv. The process may be repeated until no more rows (or
columns) can be checked)
v. Draw straight lines through all unchecked rows and
through all checked columns.
It may be pointed out here that one may also draw the
minimum number of lines to cover all zeros by inspection.
If the number of lines drawn is equal to the number of
rows (or columns), then the current solution is an optimal
solution, otherwise go to Step 5.
 ASSIGNMENT ALGORITHM (HUNGARIAN METHOD)
• Step 5: Develop the New Revised Opportunity Cost Matrix:
• Select the smallest element among all the uncovered
elements.
i. Subtract this smallest element from all those elements
which are not covered
ii. Add this smallest element to all those elements which lie at
the intersection of two lines
• Step 6: Go to Step 2 and repeat the procedure until the
number of assignments becomes equal to the number of
rows and columns. In such a case, we shall observe that
each row/column has an assignment. Thus the current
solution is an optimal solution.