# How to use mathematica to create school time-table?

I wonder if it is possible to use Mathematica for helping myself to create school timetable. I have a feeling that it requires quite simple optimization algorithm, but I have never been into optimization, so I don't really know where to start.

1. I have a given free class rooms at certain time points.
2. I have an information about how much time and places require certain lessons
3. Also I do have some teacher preferences - some would prefer mornings, some evenings etc.

Is there any function that would help solve that matter?

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Related question: mathematica.stackexchange.com/q/5181/5 – R. M. Sep 30 '12 at 16:40
It is not related to the mentioned question. I have here some kind of optimization question, not visualizing the tabular data. – Misery Sep 30 '12 at 16:42
More importantly, have you tried formulating this as an optimization problem? Have you written down what the objective function should be and what the constraints are? If not, then Mathematica won't automatically divine that for you. I suggest you formulate the question mathematically first and then show us where you're getting stuck in Mathematica – R. M. Sep 30 '12 at 16:42
Yes, I understand your question... my followup question was: Have you thought about where to begin and how to formulate it mathematically? If you have, share it with us and then it is easier to help you with the Mathematica aspect of it. – R. M. Sep 30 '12 at 16:45
This sounds like a painful Integer Programming question. NP-Hard. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Integer_programming – Amatya Sep 30 '12 at 19:37

Look up "DifferentialEvolution". – J. M. Oct 1 '12 at 8:45