A time-dependent metaheuristic algorithm for post enrolment-based course timetabling

Ametaheuristic-based algorithm is presented for the post enrolment-based course timetabling problem used in track-2 of the Second International Timetabling Competition (ITC2007). The featured algorithm operates in three distinct stages – a constructive phase followed by two separate phases of simulated annealing – and is time dependent, due to the fact that various run-time parameters are calculated automatically according to the amount of computation time available. Overall, the method produces results in line with the official finalists to the timetabling competition, though experiments show that this algorithm also seems to find certain instances more difficult to solve than others. A number of reasons for this latter feature are discussed.