computer science

Linear scheduling method

Linear scheduling method is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Linear scheduling method rather than just read about it. In short: Linear scheduling method (LSM) is a graphical scheduling method focusing on continuous resource utilization in repetitive activities. Application LSM is used mainly in the construction industry to schedule resources in repetitive activities commonly found in highway, pipeline, high-rise building and rail construction projects.

Key takeaways

Linear scheduling method belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Linear scheduling method to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Linear scheduling method from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Linear scheduling method (LSM) is a graphical scheduling method focusing on continuous resource utilization in repetitive activities.

Application LSM is used mainly in the construction industry to schedule resources in repetitive activities commonly found in highway, pipeline, high-rise building and rail construction projects. These projects are called repetitive or linear projects. The main advantages of LSM over critical path method (CPM) is its underlying idea of keeping resources continuously at work. In other words, it schedules activities in such a way that:

resource utilization is maximized; interruption in on-going process is minimized, including hiring-and-firing; and the effect of the learning curve phenomenon is maximized

Alternative names Specific names for the linear scheduling method have been adopted, such as:

Location-based scheduling (the preferred term in the book) Harmonograms Line-of-balance Flowline or flow line Repetitive scheduling method Vertical production method Time-location matrix model Time space scheduling method Disturbance scheduling Horizontal and vertical logic scheduling for multistory projects Horizontal and vertical scheduling Multiple repetitive construction process Representing construction Linear scheduling Time versus distance diagrams (T-D charts) Time chainage Linear balance charts Velocity diagrams

See also List of project management software List of project management topics Project management Project planning Sequence step algorithm Time distance diagram Work breakdown structure

References

Further reading James Wonneberg and Ron Drake (2016) Linear Scheduling 101 Robert B. Harris and Photios G. Ioannou Repetitive Scheduling Method David W. Johnston Linear Scheduling Method for Highway Construction[link removed] Frank Harris and Ronald McCaffer Modern Construction Management 6th Ed UK: Blackwell Publishing

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Linear scheduling method

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Linear scheduling method claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Linear scheduling method before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Linear scheduling method ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Linear scheduling method

In research: Linear scheduling method appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Linear scheduling method in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Linear scheduling method is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Business terms, Network theory, Production planning, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Linear scheduling method outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Linear scheduling method in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Linear scheduling method means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Linear scheduling method out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Linear scheduling method in simple terms?

Linear scheduling method (LSM) is a graphical scheduling method focusing on continuous resource utilization in repetitive activities. Application LSM is used mainly in the construction industry to schedule resources in repetitive activities commonly found in highway, pipeline, high-rise building an…

Why does Linear scheduling method matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Linear scheduling method?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Linear scheduling method.