linear assignment

1 definition found

linear assignment - Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (26 May 2007) :

  assignment problem
  linear assignment
  
     <mathematics, algorithm> (Or "linear assignment") Any problem
     involving minimising the sum of C(a, b) over a set P of pairs
     (a, b) where a is an element of some set A and b is an element
     of set B, and C is some function, under constraints such as
     "each element of A must appear exactly once in P" or similarly
     for B, or both.
  
     For example, the a's could be workers and the b's projects.
  
     The problem is "linear" because the "cost function" C()
     depends only on the particular pairing (a, b) and is
     independent of all other pairings.
  
     
  (http://forum.swarthmore.edu/epigone/comp.soft-sys.matlab/bringhyclu).
     (http://soci.swt.edu/capps/prob.htm).
     (http://mat.gsia.cmu.edu/GROUP95/0577.html).
     (http://informs.org/Conf/WA96/TALKS/SB24.3.html).
  
     [Algorithms?]
  
     (1999-07-12)