FAQ
Reports
Each team must provide on 07 January 2007, directly on the FT machine or by email to the head of the challenge, an archive file structured like the one in TeamXX.tar.gz or TeamXX.zip containing the final version of the program (tested on the FT machine), the numerical results obtained on the data set A and B, and an extended abstract (6 pages maximum with result summary, in French or English) using the latex package (Roadef2007_abstract.tar.gz or Roadef2007_abstract.zip, this package is already in the TeamXX archive files) of the FRANCORO V / ROADEF2007 conference. The teams selected to the conference will have their extended abstracts included in the proceedings of abstracts of the conference, thus this is important to use the latex package provided.
Questions related to the subject
- Is the formula number 6 in the version 1 of the subject false?
Yes. It was incomplete; it's corrected in version 2. - What is the "abandon"?
The "abandon" is the total budget of all the interventions subcontracted to external companies, which will thus not be scheduled. - What is a hired intervention?
A hired intervention is an intervention that will not schedule and will be subcontracted to an external company. We suppose that this intervention will be done on time. But we don't know the exact completion date. - Can a non-hired intervention have ancestors be hired intervention?
No. We cannot schedule any successors to a hired intervention, because we do not know its completion date. - Where "cost" field is used?
Each intervention has a cost: the field "cost" in the input file interv_list, and the total cost of hired interventions will be taken into account: it must not exceed the fixed cost (Budget) the field "abandon" in the input file "instance". - Where is the information about hired interventions in the output files?
The hired interventions are the ones that do not appear in the output files. - Must we schedule a hired intervention?
No, we must not. The external company will have to schedule this intervention to be completed on time. - What is the upper bound to the number of interventions?
1000 - What is the upper bound to the number of technicians?
1000 - What is the upper bound to the number of domains?
100 - What is the upper bound to the number of level?
10 - Why is it necessary to give the number of technicians in a domain for each level
in the input files?
When we describe an intervention, we describe a succession of tasks in different domains (we suppose that the tasks are made sequentially). For each task we need to give the number of technicians necessary to realise that task (we suppose that technicians work in parallel).
Example: Many interventions on telecom pylons use a qualified technician to perform the actual intervention and another to secure the first one. - In a domain, is 1 level-3 technician equal to 3 level-1 technicians?
No. - Are technicians and interventions written with increasing consecutive number
(without gaps) in the tech_list and interv_list files?
Yes. - Is it an error if the same file appears in different sets?
No, it's not. In data7 and data10 of instances_set_A, the interv_list files are the same (but tech_list files are different). In this case, it's a way to compare the efficiency of two teams of technicians. - What is the upper bound to the number of teams in a day?
In theory, the maximum number of teams in a day is the number of technicians plus one: this is the case where all technicians work (team zero empty) and there is one technician by team. - What is the lower bound to the number of teams in a day?
In theory, the lower bound to the number of teams in a day is one, when all technicians who are present are not working. - What are the bounds to the number of technicians in a team?
The number of technicians in a team can be zero if the team is empty: it's the case for the team zero when all the technicians are present and work. - Can a technician use skills in more than one domain in the same intervention?
Yes. For one intervention, the tasks in different domains are made sequentially. - Are days written with increasing consecutive number (without gaps) in the tech_teams file?
Yes. - Are interventions written with increasing consecutive number (without gaps) in the
interv_dates file?
Yes. - Are all the technicians present once and only once, for each day in the tech_teams file?
Yes. - Must all the non-working technicians be in the team zero?
No. Only the non-present technicians must be in team zero. Present but not working technicians can be either in the team zero or another team that does not appear in interv-dates for the day. - Can I have a team, different of team zero, with technicians who are present but not working?
Yes. This team can be present in tech_teams, but must not be present in interv_dates. - What is the unit of time in the scoring formula?
In the scoring formula, an ending time is the number of unit times since the beginning of the schedule. If the last scheduled intervention of priority 1 is fished at day3, time 60, t1 will be 300 (=2*120+60). - Is there an evaluation program?
Yes. There is a web access at http://roadef.rd.francetelecom.com/ (no longer valid)
Optimization tools, operating system, programming language
- What is the Cplex version available?
Cplex 10.0 - What is the Operating System of the reference machine?
Linux with Red-Hat ES 4, the programs must be compatible this operating system. - What is the programming language of the reference machine?
C/C++, JAVA distributed with Red-Hat ES 4 is also available.
Machine (processor, cache memory), CPU time
- What are the specifications of the reference machine?
Processor AMD Athlon™ 64 3000+ (1,8 Ghz).
1024 ko of cache memory
1024 ko of cache memory
Memory 1 Go de DDR-RAM
Hard Disk 40 Go (7200 tpm) - What is the maximum real time allowed for execution?
Each test will be run with –t 1200 (20 minutes).
User account accesses
- Will you provide reference result?
Yes. - How to access the server?
A special login will be communicated to participants. - When the server will be available?
Before 11/15/2006