Interactive Timetabling

Timetabling is a typical application of constraint programming whose task is to allocate activities to slots in available resources respecting various constraints like precedence and capacity. In this paper we present a basic concept, a constraint model, and a solution algorithm for interactive timetabling. Interactive timetabling combines automated timetabling (the computer allocates the activities) with user interaction (the user can interfere with the process of timetabling). Because the user can see how the timetabling proceeds and he or she can intervene this process, we believe that such approach is more convenient than full automated timetabling, which behaves like a black-box. We also present some results achieved when applying our techniques to solving a real-life timetabling problem at the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics at Charles University.