Abstract: Disclosed are method and apparatus for generating a global minimum value of a function representing a characteristic of a system comprising at least one object, wherein the function is based at least in part on a set of data elements within a bounded domain. At an initial randomly chosen data element, the method comprises generating a local minimum by a sequence comprising multiple iterations of a construction phase followed by a local-improvement phase. A set of local minima are generated at a set of initial randomly chosen data elements. The global minimum is the minimum of the local minima within the bounded domain.

Abstract: In a first aspect, the present invention provides a unique algorithm that interactively takes into consideration the melt shot (MS) and the hot strip mill (HSM) constraints such that a balanced and feasible solution is reached for the whole Primary Area (MS and HSM) at once. In a second aspect, the invention takes a set of orders defined to be produced next in the Melt Shop area in a steel mill and groups them in small sets of orders with similar characteristics, called heats. Each order belongs to a heat. The system defines the precise moment that each heat has to be processed in each of its steps. In another aspect, the invention uses an event-driven based algorithm as a general approach for scheduling all the processing units with their specific constraints and the metallic units from hot coils to the finished products at the shipping areas.

Abstract: In a first aspect, the present invention provides a unique algorithm that interactively takes into consideration the melt shot (MS) and the hot strip mill (HSM) constraints such that a balanced and feasible solution is reached for the whole Primary Area (MS and HSM) at once. In a second aspect, the invention takes a set of orders defined to be produced next in the Melt Shop area in a steel mill and groups them in small sets of orders with similar characteristics, called heats. Each order belongs to a heat. The system defines the precise moment that each heat has to be processed in each of its steps. In another aspect, the invention uses an event-driven based algorithm as a general approach for scheduling all the processing units with their specific constraints and the metallic units from hot coils to the finished products at the shipping areas.