what is hungarian method in assignment problem

Hungarian Method

The Hungarian method is a computational optimization technique that addresses the assignment problem in polynomial time and foreshadows following primal-dual alternatives. In 1955, Harold Kuhn used the term “Hungarian method” to honour two Hungarian mathematicians, Dénes Kőnig and Jenő Egerváry. Let’s go through the steps of the Hungarian method with the help of a solved example.

Hungarian Method to Solve Assignment Problems

The Hungarian method is a simple way to solve assignment problems. Let us first discuss the assignment problems before moving on to learning the Hungarian method.

What is an Assignment Problem?

A transportation problem is a type of assignment problem. The goal is to allocate an equal amount of resources to the same number of activities. As a result, the overall cost of allocation is minimised or the total profit is maximised.

Because available resources such as workers, machines, and other resources have varying degrees of efficiency for executing different activities, and hence the cost, profit, or loss of conducting such activities varies.

Assume we have ‘n’ jobs to do on ‘m’ machines (i.e., one job to one machine). Our goal is to assign jobs to machines for the least amount of money possible (or maximum profit). Based on the notion that each machine can accomplish each task, but at variable levels of efficiency.

Hungarian Method Steps

Check to see if the number of rows and columns are equal; if they are, the assignment problem is considered to be balanced. Then go to step 1. If it is not balanced, it should be balanced before the algorithm is applied.

Step 1 – In the given cost matrix, subtract the least cost element of each row from all the entries in that row. Make sure that each row has at least one zero.

Step 2 – In the resultant cost matrix produced in step 1, subtract the least cost element in each column from all the components in that column, ensuring that each column contains at least one zero.

Step 3 – Assign zeros

• Analyse the rows one by one until you find a row with precisely one unmarked zero. Encircle this lonely unmarked zero and assign it a task. All other zeros in the column of this circular zero should be crossed out because they will not be used in any future assignments. Continue in this manner until you’ve gone through all of the rows.
• Examine the columns one by one until you find one with precisely one unmarked zero. Encircle this single unmarked zero and cross any other zero in its row to make an assignment to it. Continue until you’ve gone through all of the columns.

Step 4 – Perform the Optimal Test

• The present assignment is optimal if each row and column has exactly one encircled zero.
• The present assignment is not optimal if at least one row or column is missing an assignment (i.e., if at least one row or column is missing one encircled zero). Continue to step 5. Subtract the least cost element from all the entries in each column of the final cost matrix created in step 1 and ensure that each column has at least one zero.

Step 5 – Draw the least number of straight lines to cover all of the zeros as follows:

(a) Highlight the rows that aren’t assigned.

(b) Label the columns with zeros in marked rows (if they haven’t already been marked).

(c) Highlight the rows that have assignments in indicated columns (if they haven’t previously been marked).

(d) Continue with (b) and (c) until no further marking is needed.

(f) Simply draw the lines through all rows and columns that are not marked. If the number of these lines equals the order of the matrix, then the solution is optimal; otherwise, it is not.

Step 6 – Find the lowest cost factor that is not covered by the straight lines. Subtract this least-cost component from all the uncovered elements and add it to all the elements that are at the intersection of these straight lines, but leave the rest of the elements alone.

Step 7 – Continue with steps 1 – 6 until you’ve found the highest suitable assignment.

Hungarian Method Example

Use the Hungarian method to solve the given assignment problem stated in the table. The entries in the matrix represent each man’s processing time in hours.

\(\begin{array}{l}\begin{bmatrix} & I & II & III & IV & V \\1 & 20 & 15 & 18 & 20 & 25 \\2 & 18 & 20 & 12 & 14 & 15 \\3 & 21 & 23 & 25 & 27 & 25 \\4 & 17 & 18 & 21 & 23 & 20 \\5 & 18 & 18 & 16 & 19 & 20 \\\end{bmatrix}\end{array} \)

With 5 jobs and 5 men, the stated problem is balanced.

\(\begin{array}{l}A = \begin{bmatrix}20 & 15 & 18 & 20 & 25 \\18 & 20 & 12 & 14 & 15 \\21 & 23 & 25 & 27 & 25 \\17 & 18 & 21 & 23 & 20 \\18 & 18 & 16 & 19 & 20 \\\end{bmatrix}\end{array} \)

Subtract the lowest cost element in each row from all of the elements in the given cost matrix’s row. Make sure that each row has at least one zero.

\(\begin{array}{l}A = \begin{bmatrix}5 & 0 & 3 & 5 & 10 \\6 & 8 & 0 & 2 & 3 \\0 & 2 & 4 & 6 & 4 \\0 & 1 & 4 & 6 & 3 \\2 & 2 & 0 & 3 & 4 \\\end{bmatrix}\end{array} \)

Subtract the least cost element in each Column from all of the components in the given cost matrix’s Column. Check to see if each column has at least one zero.

\(\begin{array}{l}A = \begin{bmatrix}5 & 0 & 3 & 3 & 7 \\6 & 8 & 0 & 0 & 0 \\0 & 2 & 4 & 4 & 1 \\0 & 1 & 4 & 4 & 0 \\2 & 2 & 0 & 1 & 1 \\\end{bmatrix}\end{array} \)

When the zeros are assigned, we get the following:

The present assignment is optimal because each row and column contain precisely one encircled zero.

Where 1 to II, 2 to IV, 3 to I, 4 to V, and 5 to III are the best assignments.

Hence, z = 15 + 14 + 21 + 20 + 16 = 86 hours is the optimal time.

Practice Question on Hungarian Method

Use the Hungarian method to solve the following assignment problem shown in table. The matrix entries represent the time it takes for each job to be processed by each machine in hours.

\(\begin{array}{l}\begin{bmatrix}J/M & I & II & III & IV & V \\1 & 9 & 22 & 58 & 11 & 19 \\2 & 43 & 78 & 72 & 50 & 63 \\3 & 41 & 28 & 91 & 37 & 45 \\4 & 74 & 42 & 27 & 49 & 39 \\5 & 36 & 11 & 57 & 22 & 25 \\\end{bmatrix}\end{array} \)

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Frequently Asked Questions on Hungarian Method

What is hungarian method.

The Hungarian method is defined as a combinatorial optimization technique that solves the assignment problems in polynomial time and foreshadowed subsequent primal–dual approaches.

What are the steps involved in Hungarian method?

The following is a quick overview of the Hungarian method: Step 1: Subtract the row minima. Step 2: Subtract the column minimums. Step 3: Use a limited number of lines to cover all zeros. Step 4: Add some more zeros to the equation.

What is the purpose of the Hungarian method?

When workers are assigned to certain activities based on cost, the Hungarian method is beneficial for identifying minimum costs.

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Hungarian Algorithm for Assignment Problem | Set 2 (Implementation)

Given a 2D array , arr of size N*N where arr[i][j] denotes the cost to complete the j th job by the i th worker. Any worker can be assigned to perform any job. The task is to assign the jobs such that exactly one worker can perform exactly one job in such a way that the total cost of the assignment is minimized.

Input: arr[][] = {{3, 5}, {10, 1}} Output: 4 Explanation: The optimal assignment is to assign job 1 to the 1st worker, job 2 to the 2nd worker. Hence, the optimal cost is 3 + 1 = 4. Input: arr[][] = {{2500, 4000, 3500}, {4000, 6000, 3500}, {2000, 4000, 2500}} Output: 4 Explanation: The optimal assignment is to assign job 2 to the 1st worker, job 3 to the 2nd worker and job 1 to the 3rd worker. Hence, the optimal cost is 4000 + 3500 + 2000 = 9500.

Different approaches to solve this problem are discussed in this article .

Approach: The idea is to use the Hungarian Algorithm to solve this problem. The algorithm is as follows:

• For each row of the matrix, find the smallest element and subtract it from every element in its row.
• Repeat the step 1 for all columns.
• Cover all zeros in the matrix using the minimum number of horizontal and vertical lines.
• Test for Optimality : If the minimum number of covering lines is N , an optimal assignment is possible. Else if lines are lesser than N , an optimal assignment is not found and must proceed to step 5.
• Determine the smallest entry not covered by any line. Subtract this entry from each uncovered row, and then add it to each covered column. Return to step 3.

Consider an example to understand the approach:

Let the 2D array be: 2500 4000 3500 4000 6000 3500 2000 4000 2500 Step 1: Subtract minimum of every row. 2500, 3500 and 2000 are subtracted from rows 1, 2 and 3 respectively. 0   1500  1000 500  2500   0 0   2000  500 Step 2: Subtract minimum of every column. 0, 1500 and 0 are subtracted from columns 1, 2 and 3 respectively. 0    0   1000 500  1000   0 0   500  500 Step 3: Cover all zeroes with minimum number of horizontal and vertical lines. Step 4: Since we need 3 lines to cover all zeroes, the optimal assignment is found.   2500   4000  3500  4000  6000   3500   2000  4000  2500 So the optimal cost is 4000 + 3500 + 2000 = 9500

For implementing the above algorithm, the idea is to use the max_cost_assignment() function defined in the dlib library . This function is an implementation of the Hungarian algorithm (also known as the Kuhn-Munkres algorithm) which runs in O(N 3 ) time. It solves the optimal assignment problem. 

Below is the implementation of the above approach:

Time Complexity: O(N 3 ) Auxiliary Space: O(N 2 )

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The Hungarian Method for the Assignment Problem

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This paper has always been one of my favorite “children,” combining as it does elements of the duality of linear programming and combinatorial tools from graph theory. It may be of some interest to tell the story of its origin.

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H.W. Kuhn, On the origin of the Hungarian Method , History of mathematical programming; a collection of personal reminiscences (J.K. Lenstra, A.H.G. Rinnooy Kan, and A. Schrijver, eds.), North Holland, Amsterdam, 1991, pp. 77–81.

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Kuhn, H.W. (2010). The Hungarian Method for the Assignment Problem. In: Jünger, M., et al. 50 Years of Integer Programming 1958-2008. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-68279-0_2

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Hungarian Method: Assignment Problem

Hungarian Method is an efficient method for solving assignment problems .

This method is based on the following principle:

• If a constant is added to, or subtracted from, every element of a row and/or a column of the given cost matrix of an assignment problem, the resulting assignment problem has the same optimal solution as the original problem.

Hungarian Algorithm

The objective of this section is to examine a computational method - an algorithm - for deriving solutions to the assignment problems. The following steps summarize the approach:

Steps in Hungarian Method

1. Identify the minimum element in each row and subtract it from every element of that row.

2. Identify the minimum element in each column and subtract it from every element of that column.

3. Make the assignments for the reduced matrix obtained from steps 1 and 2 in the following way:

• For every zero that becomes assigned, cross out (X) all other zeros in the same row and the same column.
• If for a row and a column, there are two or more zeros and one cannot be chosen by inspection, then you are at liberty to choose the cell arbitrarily for assignment.

4. An optimal assignment is found, if the number of assigned cells equals the number of rows (and columns). In case you have chosen a zero cell arbitrarily, there may be alternate optimal solutions. If no optimal solution is found, go to step 5.

5. Draw the minimum number of vertical and horizontal lines necessary to cover all the zeros in the reduced matrix obtained from step 3 by adopting the following procedure:

• Mark all the rows that do not have assignments.
• Mark all the columns (not already marked) which have zeros in the marked rows.
• Mark all the rows (not already marked) that have assignments in marked columns.
• Repeat steps 5 (i) to (iii) until no more rows or columns can be marked.
• Draw straight lines through all unmarked rows and marked columns.

You can also draw the minimum number of lines by inspection.

6. Select the smallest element from all the uncovered elements. Subtract this smallest element from all the uncovered elements and add it to the elements, which lie at the intersection of two lines. Thus, we obtain another reduced matrix for fresh assignment.

7. Go to step 3 and repeat the procedure until you arrive at an optimal assignment.

For the time being we assume that number of jobs is equal to number of machines or persons. Later in the chapter, we will remove this restrictive assumption and consider a special case where no. of facilities and tasks are not equal.

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Difference between solving Assignment Problem using the Hungarian Method vs. LP

When trying to solve for assignments given a cost matrix, what is the difference between

using Scipy's linear_sum_assignment function (which I think uses the Hungarian method)

describing the LP problem using a objective function with many boolean variables, add in the appropriate constraints and send it to a solver, such as through scipy.optimize.linprog ?

Is the later method slower than Hungarian method's O(N^3) but allows for more constraints to be added?

• linear-programming
• combinatorial-optimization
• assignment-problem

• $\begingroup$ The main difference between a mathematical model and a heuristic algorithm to solve a specific problem is more likely to prove optimality rather feasibility. Now, one can decide which one to be selected in order to satisfy needs. $\endgroup$ –  A.Omidi Commented Mar 20, 2022 at 7:54
• 4 $\begingroup$ @A.Omidi the Hungarian method is an exact algorithm $\endgroup$ –  fontanf Commented Mar 20, 2022 at 8:26
• $\begingroup$ @fontanf, you are right. What I said was to compare the exact and heuristic methods and it is not specific to Hungarian alg. Thanks for your hint. $\endgroup$ –  A.Omidi Commented Mar 20, 2022 at 10:32

The main differences probably are that there is a somewhat large overhead you have to pay when solving the AP as a linear program: You have to build an LP model and ship it to a solver. In addition, an LP solver is a generalist. It solves all LP problems and focus in development is to be fast on average on all LPs and also to be fast-ish in the pathological cases.

When using the Hungarian method, you do not build a model, you just pass the cost matrix to a tailored algorithm. You will then use an algorithm developed for that specific problem to solve it. Hence, it will most likely solve it faster since it is a specialist.

So if you want to solve an AP you should probably use the tailored algorithm. If you plan on extending your model to handle other more general constraints as well, you might need the LP after all.

Edit: From a simple test in Python, my assumption is confirmed in this specific setup (which is to the advantage of the Hungarian method, I believe). The set up is as follows:

• A size is chosen in $n\in \{5,10,\dots,500\}$
• A cost matrix is generated. Each coefficient $c_{ij}$ is generated as a uniformly distributed integer in the range $[250,999]$ .
• The instance is solved using both linear_sum_assignment and as a linear program. The solution time is measured as wall clock time and only the time spent by linear_sum_assignment and the solve function is timed (not building the LP and not not generating the instance)

For each size, I have generated and solved ten instances, and I report the average time only.

And then there is of course the "but". I am not a ninja in Python and I have used pyomo for modelling the LPs. I believe that pyomo is known to be slow-ish whenbuilding models, hence I have only timed the solver.solve(model) part of the code - not building the model. There is however possibly a hugh overhead cost coming from pyomo translating the model to "gurobian" (I use gurobi as solver).

• 1 $\begingroup$ Do you have some benchmark results to support this claim? Intuitively, I would have thought that the Hungarian method would be much slower in practice $\endgroup$ –  fontanf Commented Mar 20, 2022 at 7:39
• $\begingroup$ @fontanf I only have anecdotal proof from past experiments. Maybe an LP solver can work faster for repeated solves, where you exploit that the model is already build and basis info is available. But I honestly don't know. $\endgroup$ –  Sune Commented Mar 20, 2022 at 9:37
• 1 $\begingroup$ It might be the case that the Hungarian method is faster for small problems (due to the overhead Sune mentioned for setting up an LP model) while simplex (or dual simplex, or maybe barrier) might be faster for large models because the setup cost is "amortized" better. (I'm just speculating here.) $\endgroup$ –  prubin ♦ Commented Mar 20, 2022 at 15:30
• 2 $\begingroup$ The Hungarian algorithm is, of course, O(n^3) for fully dense assignment problems. I don't know if there is a simplex bound explicitly for assignments. Simplex is exponential in the worst case and linear in variables plus constraints (n^2 + 2n here) in practice. But assignments are highly degenerate (n positive basics out of 2n rows). Dual simplex may fare better than primal. Hungarian is all integer for integer costs, whereas a standard simplex code won't be unless it knows to detect that in preprocessing. That may lead to some overhead for linear algebra. Ha, an idea for a class project! $\endgroup$ –  mjsaltzman Commented Mar 20, 2022 at 17:04
• 2 $\begingroup$ Just for the sake of completeness, here 's the same with gurobipy instead of Pyomo. On my machine, all LPs (n = 500) are solved in less than a second compared to roughly 4 seconds with Pyomo. $\endgroup$ –  joni Commented Mar 21, 2022 at 16:21

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Add a method, remove a method, edit datasets, the storage location assignment and picker routing problem: a generic branch-cut-and-price algorithm.

18 Jul 2024  ·  Thibault Prunet , Nabil Absi , Diego Cattaruzza · Edit social preview

The Storage Location Assignment Problem (SLAP) and the Picker Routing Problem (PRP) have received significant attention in the literature due to their pivotal role in the performance of the Order Picking (OP) activity, the most resource-intensive process of warehousing logistics. The two problems are traditionally considered at different decision-making levels: tactical for the SLAP, and operational for the PRP. However, this paradigm has been challenged by the emergence of modern practices in e-commerce warehouses, where storage decisions are more dynamic and are made at an operational level, making the integration of the SLAP and PRP pertinent to consider. Despite its practical significance, the joint optimization of both operations, called the Storage Location Assignment and Picker Routing Problem (SLAPRP), has received limited attention. Scholars have investigated several variants of the SLAPRP, including different warehouse layouts and routing policies. Nevertheless, the available computational results suggest that each variant requires an ad hoc formulation. Moreover, achieving a complete integration of the two problems, where the routing is solved optimally, remains out of reach for commercial solvers. In this paper, we propose an exact solution framework that addresses a broad class of variants of the SLAPRP, including all the previously existing ones. This paper proposes a Branch-Cut-and-Price framework based on a novel formulation with an exponential number of variables, which is strengthened with a novel family of non-robust valid inequalities. We have developed an ad-hoc branching scheme to break symmetries and maintain the size of the enumeration tree manageable. Computational experiments show that our framework can effectively solve medium-sized instances of several SLAPRP variants and outperforms the state-of-the-art methods from the literature.

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Fill in the cost matrix ( random cost matrix ):

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