Networks, scheduling and assignment — Topic Review | Year 12

QUICK RECAP

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An activity's immediate predecessors must finish before it can start. An arrow shows the permitted direction; its duration is not its drawn length.

In an activity-on-arrow project network, numbered vertices are events. A dashed dummy arrow has zero duration and records a dependency.

A forward scan takes the largest incoming finish time. A backward scan takes the smallest permitted outgoing start time.

The critical path is a longest-duration start-to-finish path. There can be more than one, and shortening one activity need not shorten the project by the same amount.

Total float of an activity is latest head-event time minus earliest tail-event time minus its duration. All times use one stated unit.

An assignment selects exactly one entry in each relevant row and column. Row-by-row cheapest choices can conflict.

Row and column reductions preserve the optimal complete assignment. Independent zeros occupy different rows and columns.

To maximise profit, transform profits into opportunity losses; for a rectangular model, state the meaning and cost of any dummy assignment.

Report the chosen people, tasks, completion time or total cost, together with the assumptions under which the recommendation works.

Practice tests

Complete each paper and show your working.

Networks, scheduling and assignment — Test 1
10 questions · 58 marks · 65 minutes · Scientific calculator
A balanced first paper covering project scans, critical paths, assignment reductions and sensible recommendations.
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Networks, scheduling and assignment — Test 2
10 questions · 59 marks · 65 minutes · Scientific calculator
Develop scheduling calculations and compare minimum-cost, maximum-profit and rectangular assignments.
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Networks, scheduling and assignment — Test 3
10 questions · 58 marks · 75 minutes · Scientific calculator
Analyse multiple critical paths, constrained resources and assignments with unavailable or unfilled tasks.
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Networks, scheduling and assignment — Test 4
10 questions · 54 marks · 75 minutes · Scientific calculator
Use inverse scheduling and expediting decisions, then justify assignment reductions and interpret operational restrictions.
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Networks, scheduling and assignment — Test 5
10 questions · 55 marks · 75 minutes · Scientific calculator
Critique scheduling claims and test how deadlines, cost changes and ties affect recommendations.
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Networks, scheduling and assignment — Test 6
10 questions · 60 marks · 75 minutes · Scientific calculator
A more demanding applications paper combining network sensitivity, resource assumptions and assignment-model choices.
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Back to Networks, scheduling and assignment

Connect the ideas

Practice tests

Networks, scheduling and assignment — Test 1

Networks, scheduling and assignment — Test 2

Networks, scheduling and assignment — Test 3

Networks, scheduling and assignment — Test 4

Networks, scheduling and assignment — Test 5

Networks, scheduling and assignment — Test 6