Multi-objective Quantum Annealing approach for solving flexible job shop scheduling in manufacturing

Abstract: Flexible Job Shop Scheduling (FJSSP) is a complex optimization problem crucial for real-world process scheduling in manufacturing. Efficiently solving such problems is vital for maintaining competitiveness. This paper introduces Quantum Annealing-based solving algorithm (QASA) to address FJSSP, utilizing quantum annealing and classical techniques. QASA optimizes multi-criterial FJSSP considering makespan, total workload, and job priority concurrently. It employs Hamiltonian formulation with Lagrange parameters to integrate constraints and objectives, allowing objective prioritization through weight assignment. To manage computational complexity, large instances are decomposed into subproblems, and a decision logic based on bottleneck factors is used. Experiments on benchmark problems show QASA, combining tabu search, simulated annealing, and Quantum Annealing, outperforms a classical solving algorithm (CSA) in solution quality (set coverage and hypervolume ratio metrics). Computational efficiency analysis indicates QASA achieves superior Pareto solutions with a reasonable increase in computation time compared to CSA.