Discrete Cuckoo Search Applied to Job Shop Scheduling Problem

Discrete Cuckoo Search (DCS) algorithm is applied to solve combinatorial optimization problems. In this chapter we discuss how DCS solves the Job Shop Scheduling Problem (JSSP), one of the most difficult NP-hard combinatorial optimization problems. DCS is recently developed by Ouaarab et al. in 2013, based on Cuckoo Search (CS) which was proposed by Yang and Deb in 2009. DCS seeks solutions, in the discrete search space, via Levy flights and a switching parameter p a of the worst solution in the population. Its search uses a subtle balance between local and global random walks. This first version of DCS for JSSP is designed without using an advanced local search method or hybrid with other metaheuristics. Our experimental results show that DCS can find the optimum solutions for a number of JSSP instances.