ASSIGNMENT PROBLEM

Introduction
Special kind of transportation problem
Each source should has the capacity to
fulfill the demand of any of the destination
Or any operator should be able to perform
any job regardless of his skills
Cost will be more if the job does not match
with the workers skill

Examples of assignment problems

Row entity

Column entity

Cell entry

Jobs

Operators

Processing time

Operators

Machines

Processing time

Teachers

Subjects

Students pass
percentage

Drivers of
company
vehicles

Routes

Travel time

Physicians

Treatments

No. of cases
handled

Types of Assignment Problems

Balanced
No. of rows equal to no. of columns

Unbalanced
No. of rows not equal to no. of columns
If unbalanced problem given
Add dummy row / column with zero as the value
for all cells in dummy row / column
While implementing the solution the dummy row/
columns will not have any assignments

Assign jobs to operators

Objective: Total processing time will be minimum
Operator
1
Job
1

10

12

15

12

16

14

14

11

13

14

12

10

11

13

10

13

15

11

15

How to solve using HUNGERIAN

METHOD
Two phases
Phase I :Row & column deductions
Step 1 : Obtain the next matrix by
subtracting the minimum value of each
row from entries of that row
Step 2: obtain the next matrix by
subtracting the minimum value of each
column from the entries of that column

Phase 1 : step 1 : row deduction

Operator
1
Job
1

Phase 1 : step 2 : column

deduction
Operator
1
Job
1

This matrix becomes the input for Phase 2

Phase 2 : optimization of the

problem
Continuing after step 2 which gives the
matrix as input
Step 3 : Draw a minimum number of lines
to cover all the zeros of the matrix. The
procedure for drawing minimum number of
lines involves the following steps
Row scanning & column scanning

Step 3.1 row scanning

Step 3.1.1 starting from the first row, as the
following question. Is there exactly one zero in
that row? If yes, mark a square around that zero
entry and draw a vertical line passing through
that zero; otherwise skip that row
Step 3.1.2 After scanning the last row check
whether all the zeros are covered with lines, if
yes go to step 4, otherwise go for column
scanning

Step 3.2 column scanning

Step 3.2.1 starting from the first column, as the
following question. Is there exactly one zero in
that column? If yes, mark a square around that
zero entry and draw a horizontal line passing
through that zero; otherwise skip that column
Step 3.2.2 After scanning the last column, check
whether all the zeros are covered with lines, if
yes go to step 4, otherwise go for row scanning

 Step 4 : Check whether the number of squares marked is

equal to the number of rows of the matrix. If yes
(optimality is reached) go to step 7 otherwise go to step 5
Step 5: Identify the minimum value of the undeleted cell
values. Obtain the next matrix by following the steps
below
Step 5.1: Copy the entries on the lines but not on the
intersection points of the present matrix as such without
any modification to the corresponding positions of the
next matrix
Step 5.2: Copy the entries at the intersection points of
the present matrix after adding the minimum undeleted
cell value to the corresponding positions of the next
matrix
Step 5.3: Subtract the minimum undeleted cell value
from all the undeleted cell values and then copy them to
the corresponding positions of the next matrix

Phase 2 : step 3 : column & row

scanning
Operator
1
Job
1

No. of zeros cells with square are 4 which is < no .of

rows (5). Go to step 5

Phase 2 : step 4 & 5 : no .of squares not

equal to no of rows so step 5
Operator
1
Job
1

Go to step 3 (row & column scanning for undeleted

rows & columns

Min. of
undeleted
cell is. Add to
intersections
and subtract
from
undeleted
cells

Phase 2 : 5 : continued
Operator
1
Job
1

Go to step 3 (row & column scanning for undeleted

rows & columns)

Optimality
is reached
as no. of
zeros with
square
marking
are 5 = no.
of rows

Optimal solution
Job

Operator

Time

10

11

Total processing time = 43 Hours

Assign subject to faculty

Subject
Faculty

1
2
3
4
5
6

30
43
34
39
32
36

39
37
41
36
49
42

31
32
33
43
35
35

38
35
41
32
40
44

40
38
34
36
37
42