Rong Qu

Contact

• workRoom C43 Computer Science
  Jubilee Campus
  Wollaton Road
  Nottingham
  NG8 1BB
  UK
• work0115 84 66503
• fax0115 8467877
• rong.qu@nottingham.ac.uk
• http://www.cs.nott.ac.uk/~rxq

Expertise Summary

Research interests: - Real world applications: multicast network routing (based on network coding), computational finance (portfolio optimization, capital budgeting), personnel scheduling, timetabling problems - Algorithms/techniques: meta-heuristics; constraint programming; (mixed) integer programming, data mining, knowledge based systems;

Teaching Summary

* Introduction on Artificial Intelligence * Constraint Logic Programming * Artificial Intelligence Methods * Decision Support Methodologies * Constraint Logic Programming

Research Summary

- Real world applications: multicast network routing (based on network coding), computational finance (portfolio optimization, capital budgeting), personnel scheduling, timetabling problems -… read more

Selected Publications

• QU, R, BURKE, E.K, MCCOLLUM, B and MERLOT, L.T.G. AND LEE S.Y., 2009. A Survey of Search Methodologies and Automated System Development for Examination Timetabling Journal of Scheduling. 12(1), 55-89
• QU R and BURKE E.K. AND MCCOLLUM B., 2009. Adaptive Automated Construction of Hybrid Heuristics for Exam Timetabling and Graph Colouring Problems European Journal of Operational Research. 198(2), 392-404
• QU R AND BURKE E.K., 2009. Hybridisations within a Graph Based Hyper-heuristic Framework for University Timetabling Problems Journal of Operational Research Society. 60, 1273-1285
• E.K. BURKE, T.E. CURTOIS, G. POST, R. QU AND B. VELTMAN, 2008. A Hybrid Heuristic Ordering and Variable Neighbourhood Search for the Nurse Rostering Problem European Journal of Operational Research. 188(2), 330-341

• View all publications

Current Research

- Real world applications: multicast network routing (based on network coding), computational finance (portfolio optimization, capital budgeting), personnel scheduling, timetabling problems - Algorithms/techniques: meta-heuristics; constraint programming; integer programming, data mining, knowledge based systems;

Past Research

My main research interests lie on employing knowledge based techniques in conjunction with Artificial Intelligence methods (i.e. heuristics, meta-heuristics and hyper-heuristics) for scheduling and timetabling problems.

• N.R. SABAR, M. AYOB, G. KENDALL, R. QU, 2012. A Honey-bee Mating Optimization Algorithm for Educational Timetabling Problems European Journal of Operational Research. 216(3), 533-543
• XU Y. AND QU R., 2012. A Hybrid Scatter Search Meta-heuristic for Delay-constrained Multicast Routing Problems Applied Intelligence. (In Press.)
• H. XING AND R. QU, 2012. A Compact Genetic Algorithm for the Network Coding Based Resource Minimization Problem Applied Intelligence. (In Press.)
• N.R. SABAR, M. AYOB, G. KENDALL, R. QU, 2012. A Graph Coloring Constructive Hyper-Heuristic for Examination Timetabling Problems Applied Intelligence. (In Press.)
• E.K. BURKE, N. PHAM, R. QU, J. YELLEN, 2012. Linear Combinations of Heuristics for Examination Timetabling Annals of OR. (In Press.)
• J. LI, E.K. BURKE AND R. QU, 2012. A Pattern Recognition Based Intelligent Search Method: Two Case Studies on the Assignment Problem Applied Intelligence. (In Press.)
• J. LI, E.K. BURKE, T. CURTOIS, S. PETROVIC AND R. QU, 2012. The Falling Tide Algorithm: a New Multi-objective Approach for Complex Workforce Scheduling Omega – International Journal of Management Science. 40(3), 283-293
• R. QU, Y. XU, J. CASTRO, D. LANDA-SILVA and , 2012. Particle Swarm Optimization for the Steiner Tree in Graph and Delay-Constrained Multicast Routing Problems Journal of Heuristics. (In Press.)
• B. MCCOLLUM, P. MCMULLAN, A.J. PARKES, E.K. BURKE and R. QU, 2012. A New Model for Automated Examination Timetabling Annals of Operations Research. (In Press.)
• Y. XU and R. QU, 2012. An Iterative Local Search Approach based on Fitness Landscapes Analysis for the Delay-constrained Multicast Routing Problem Computer Communications. 35, 352-365
• R. BAI, G. KENDALL, R. QU and J. ATKIN., 2012. Tabu assisted guided local search approaches for freight service network design Information Sciences. (In Press.)
• E.K. BURKE, T. CURTOIS, R. QU AND G. VANDEN BERGHE, 2011. A Time Pre-defined Variable Depth Search for Nurse Rostering INFORMS Journal on Computing. (In Press.)
• BRUCKER P, QU R and BURKE E.K., 2011. Personnel Scheduling: Models and Complexity European Journal of Operational Research. 210(3), 467-473
• H. XING AND R. QU, 2011. A Population Based Incremental Learning for Delay Constrained Network Coding Resource Minimization In: The 8th European Event on the Application of Nature-inspired Techniques for Telecommunication Networks (EvoCOMNET'11) at EvoStar'2011.
• H. XING AND R. QU, 2011. A Population Based Incremental Learning for Network Coding Resources Minimization IEEE Communication Letters. 99, 1-3
• B. RYAN, R. QU, A. SCHOCK, T. PARRY, 2011. Integrating human factors and operational research in a multidisciplinary investigation of road maintenance Ergonomics. 54(5), 436-452
• E.K. BURKE, J. LI AND R. QU, 2010. A Hybrid Model of Integer Programming and Variable Neighbourhood Search for Highly-Constrained Nurse Rostering Problems European Journal of Operational Research. 203(2), 484-493
• P. BRUCKER, E.K. BURKE, T. CURTOIS, R. QU* AND G. VANDEN BERGHE, 2010. A Shift Sequence Based Approach for Nurse Scheduling and a New Benchmark Dataset Journal of Heuristics. 16(4), 559-573
• E.K. BURKE, R. QU AND A. SOGHIER, 2010. Adaptive Selection of Heuristics for Improving Constructed Exam Timetables In: The 8th International Conference on the Practice and Theory of Automated Timetabling (PATAT 2010).
• E.K. BURKE, A. J. ECKERSLEY, B. MCCOLLUM, S. PETROVIC AND R. QU, 2010. Hybrid Variable Neighbourhood Approaches to University Exam Timetabling European Journal of Operational Research. 206, 46-53
• E.K. BURKE, J. LI AND R. QU, 2010. A Pareto-Based Search Methodology for Multi-objective Nurse Scheduling Annals of OR. (In Press.)
• E.K. BURKE, T. CURTOIS, R. QU AND G. VANDEN BERGHE, 2010. A Scatter Search for the Nurse Rostering Problem Journal of Operational Research Society. 61, 1667-1679
• Y. XU AND R. QU, 2010. Solving Multi-objective Multicast Routing Problems by Evolutionary Multi-objective Simulated Annealing Algorithms with Variable Neighborhoods Journal of Operational Research Society. 62, 313-325
• J. LI, E.K. BURKE AND R. QU, 2010. Integrating Neural Networks and Logistic Regression to Underpin Hyper-heuristic Search Knowledge-Based Systems. 24(2), 322-330
• P. BRUCKER AND R. QU, 2010. Network Flow Models for Intraday Personnel Scheduling Problems In: The 8th International Conference on the Practice and Theory of Automated Timetabling (PATAT 2010).
• B. MCCOLLUM, P. MCMULLAN, B. PAECHTER, R. LEWIS, A. SCHAERF, L. DI GASPERO, A. J. PARKES, R. QU, AND E.K. BURKE, 2010. Setting the Research Agenda in Automated Timetabling: The Second International Timetabling Competition INFORMS Journal of Computing. 22(1), 120-130
• G. OCHOA, R. QU AND E.K. BURKE, 2009. Analyzing the Landscape of a Graph Based Hyper-heuristic for Timetabling Problems In: The Genetic and Evolutionary Computation Conference (GECCO'09). 341-348
• QU R AND BURKE E.K., 2009. Hybridisations within a Graph Based Hyper-heuristic Framework for University Timetabling Problems Journal of Operational Research Society. 60, 1273-1285
• R. QU, F. HE AND E.K. BURKE, 2009. Hybridizing Integer Programming Models with an Adaptive Decomposition Approach for Exam Timetabling Problems In: The 4th Multidisciplinary International Scheduling: Theory and Applications 2009 (MISTA 2009). 435-446
• S. KHATIJAH NOR ABDUL RAHIM, A. BARGIELA, RONG QU, 2009. Granular Modelling of Exam to Slot Allocation In: The 23rd EUROPEAN Conference on Modelling and Simulation.
• Y. XU AND R. QU, 2009. A GRASP approach for the delay-constrained multicast routing problem In: The 4th Multidisciplinary International Scheduling: Theory and Applications 2009 (MISTA 2009). 93-104
• QU, R, BURKE, E.K, MCCOLLUM, B and MERLOT, L.T.G. AND LEE S.Y., 2009. A Survey of Search Methodologies and Automated System Development for Examination Timetabling Journal of Scheduling. 12(1), 55-89
• QU R and BURKE E.K. AND MCCOLLUM B., 2009. Adaptive Automated Construction of Hybrid Heuristics for Exam Timetabling and Graph Colouring Problems European Journal of Operational Research. 198(2), 392-404
• G. BASKARAN, A. BARGIELA AND R. QU, 2009. Hierarchical Method for Nurse Rostering based on Granular Pre-processing of Constraints In: The 23rd EUROPEAN Conference on Modelling and Simulation.
• E.K. BURKE, R. QU AND A. SOGHIER, 2009. Adaptive Selection of Heuristics within a GRASP for Exam Timetabling Problems In: The 4th Multidisciplinary International Scheduling: Theory and Applications 2009 (MISTA 2009). 409-423
• F. HE AND R. QU, 2009. Constraint-directed Local Search to Nurse Rostering Problems In: 6th International Workshop on Local Search Techniques in Constraint Satisfaction (LSCS 2009), CP'09.
• R. QU, Y. XU, G. KENDALL, 2009. A Variable Descent Search Algorithm for Delay-Constrained Least-Cost Multicast Routing In: Learning and Intelligent OptimizatioN (LION 3), Lecture Notes in Computer Science 5851. 15-29
• E.K. BURKE, T.E. CURTOIS, G. POST, R. QU AND B. VELTMAN, 2008. A Hybrid Heuristic Ordering and Variable Neighbourhood Search for the Nurse Rostering Problem European Journal of Operational Research. 188(2), 330-341
• R. QU, F. HE, 2008. A Hybrid Constraint Programming Approach for Nurse Rostering Problems In: The Twenty-eighth SGAI International Conference on Artificial Intelligence (AI-2008). 211-224
• BURKE, E.K., MCCOLLUM, B., MEISELS, A., PETROVIC, S. and QU, R., 2007. A graph-based hyper-heuristic for educational timetabling problems European Journal of Operational Research. 176(1), 177-192
• AYOB, M., MD. AB. MALIK A,, ABDULLAH, S., HAMDEN, A.R., KENDALL, G. and QU, R., 2007. Solving a Practical Examination Timetabling Problem: A Case Study: Proceedings of Computational Science and Its Applications - ICCSA 2007 Lecture Notes in Computer Science. 611-624
• R. QU* AND E.K. BURKE, 2007. Adaptive Decomposition and Construction for Examination Timetabling Problems In: Proceedings of the 3rd Multidisciplinary International Scheduling: Theory and Applications 2007 (MISTA 2007). 418-425
• J.R. CARRINGTON, N. PHAM, R. QU, J. YELLEN, 2007. An Enhanced Weighted Graph Model for Examination / Course Timetabling In: Proceedings of 26th Workshop of the UK Planning and Scheduling Special Interest Group 2007 (PlanSIG 2007).
• BURKE, E.K., MACCARTHY, B.L., PETROVIC, S. and QU, R., 2006. Multiple-retrieval case-based reasoning for course timetabling problems Journal of the Operational Research Society. 57(2), 148-162
• BURKE, E.K., PETROVIC, S. and QU, R., 2006. Case-based heuristic selection for timetabling problems Journal of Scheduling. 9(2), 115-132
• BURKE, E., DROR, M., PETROVIC, S. and QU, R., 2005. Hybrid Graph Heuristics Within a Hyper-Heuristic Approach to Exam Timetabling Problems OPERATIONS RESEARCH COMPUTER SCIENCE INTERFACE SERIES. VOL 29, 79-92
• QU, R. and BURKE, E., 2005. Hybrid variable neighbourhood hyper-heuristics for exam timetabling problems In: Meta-heuristic International Conference 2005 (MIC'05).
• BRUCKER, P., QU, R., BURKE, E. and POST, G., 2005. A decomposition, construction and post-processing approach for a specific nurse rostering problem In: 2nd Multi-disciplinary International Conference on Scheduling: Theory & Applications. MISTA 2005. 397-406
• BURKE, E., ECKERSLEY, A., MCCOLLUM, B., PETROVIC, S. and QU, R., 2004. Analysing similarity in exam timetabling In: 5th International Conference on the Practice and Theory of Automated Timetabling (PATAT04). 89-106
• BURKE, E., ECKERSLEY, A., MCCOLLUM, B., PETROVIC, S. and QU, R., 2003. Similarity measures for exam timetabling problems In: 1st Multidisciplinary International Conference on Scheduling: Theory and Applications (MISTA 2003). 120-136
• BURKE, E., ECKERSLEY, A., MCCOLLUM, B., PETROVIC, S. and QU, R., 2003. Using simulated annealing to study behaviour of various exam timetabling data sets In: 5th Metaheuristics International Conference 2003 (MIC2003).
• BURKE, E.K., PETROVIC, S. and QU, R., 2002. Case-based heuristic selection for examination timetabling In: 4th Asia-Pacific Conference on Simulated Evolution and Learning - SEAL'02. 277-281
• PETROVIC, R. and QU, R., 2002. Case-Based Reasoning as a Heuristic Selector in a Hyper-Heuristic for Course Timetabling Problems In: Proceedings of the Sixth International Conference on Knowledge-Based Intelligent Information Enginee.
• BURKE, E., MACCARTHY, B., PETROVIC, S. and QU, R., 2002. Knowledge Discovery in a Hyper-Heuristic for Course Timetabling Using Case-Based Reasoning In: PATAT 2002, 4th international conference on the Practice And Theory of Automated Timetabling.
• BURKE, E.K., MACCARTHY, B., PETROVIC, S. and QU, R., 2001. Case-based reasoning in course timetabling: an attribute graph approach In: Case-Based Reasoning Research and Development : 4th International Conference on Case-Based Reasoning, ICCBR 2001, Vancouver, BC, Canada, July 30 - August 2, 2001, Proceedings. 90-104
• BURKE, E.K., MACCARTHY, B., PETROVIC, S. and QU, R., 2000. Structured cases in case-based reasoning-re-using and adapting cases for time-tabling problems Knowledge Based Systems. 13(2-3), 159-165
• BURKE, E. K., MACCARTHY, B., PETROVIC, S. and QU, R., 2000. Structured Cases in CBR - Re-using and Adapting Cases for Time-Tabling Problems RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT IN INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS. [NO] 16, 191-203
• N.R. SABAR, M. AYOB, G. KENDALL AND R. QU, Roulette wheel graph colouring for solving examination timetabling problems In: The 3rd Annual International Conference on Combinatorial Optimization and Applications (COCOA'09), Lecture Notes in Computer Science 5573. 463-470