QuikFix a repair-based timetable solver

Abstract

QuikFix is a software program for solving timetabling problems. The software adapts repair-based heuristic search known in SAT solving to the timetabling domain. A high-level timetabling-specific model enforces structural constraints and allows for meaningful moves in the search space, such as swaps of the time slots or venues of events. QuikFix uses known techniques to improve the search performance, such as multi-starts, tabu lists, and strategic oscillation. The software is easily extensible through the use of object-oriented programming techniques and has been employed for the timetabling of a Singapore K-12 international school, and as an entry to the ITC 2007 timetabling competition.