Solving the Resource-Constrained Project Scheduling Problem (RCPSP) with Quantum Annealing

Abstract

Quantum annealing emerges as a viable solution for solving complex problems such as the resource-constrained project scheduling problem (RCPSP). We analyze 12 Mixed Integer Linear Programming formulations in an attempt to solve the RCPSP, and convert the most qubit-efficient formulation into a Quadratic Unconstrained Binary Optimization (QUBO) model. We solve this QUBO model using the D-Wave Advantage 6.3 Quantum Annealing (QA) machine and compare its performance with that of classical computer solvers. This pioneering effort marks the first use of quantum annealing for RCPSP, and shows promising results, especially for small to medium-sized instances.