A branch and bound algorithm for single machine scheduling with deteriorating values of jobs

Scheduling deteriorating jobs is an area of research which has attracted much attention recently. In this paper the problem of single machine scheduling, where the values of jobs remaining after processing deteriorate over time, is presented. A branch and bound method is developed, which, using the sub-optimal solution of a heuristic algorithm as an initial solution, leads to the optimal solution of the problem. The method is applied in a case of remanufacturing of PCs and is evaluated by comparing the results (in terms of computer time needed for the application) to those of complete enumeration.