Skip to content

The Hungarian Method for the Assignment Problem

Authors: Harold W. Kuhn

Published: 1955 (Journal Paper)

Source: Naval Research Logistics Quarterly

Algorithm: Hungarian algorithm

DOI: 10.1002/nav.3800020109

Summary

Introduces the Hungarian algorithm for optimally solving the assignment problem in polynomial time, applying results from König and Egerváry to give a combinatorial method that finds a maximum-weight perfect matching in a bipartite graph.

Abstract

Assuming that numerical scores are available for the performance of each of n persons on each of n jobs, the "assignment problem" is the quest for an assignment of persons to jobs so that the sum of the n scores so obtained is as large as possible. It is shown that ideas latent in the work of two Hungarian mathematicians may be exploited to yield a new method of solving this problem.

Tags

  • Assignment problem

  • Hungarian algorithm

  • Combinatorial optimization

  • Linear programming

  • Operations research