Scheduling jobs with simultaneous considerations of controllable processing times and learning effect

Abstract

This paper considers a scheduling problem with general job-dependent learning curves and controllable processing times on a single machine. The objective is to determine the optimal compressions of the processing times and the optimal sequence of jobs so as to minimize some total cost functions, which consist of regular and non-regular functions and the processing time compressions. It shows that the problem can be solved by an assignment problem and thus can be solved in polynomial time. Some extensions of the problem are also given.