Applying a novel clustering technique based on FP-tree to university timetabling problem: A case study

In this study, we propose a clustering technique based on FP-tree algorithm to group students based on the intended courses they will register for a given next semester. The goal of this clustering is to solve the problem of course´s time scheduling that we encountered in previous semesters which prevented students from enrolling in some of these courses as they are being scheduled at the same time which resulted in delaying their graduation. We also apply this technique on exams scheduling to ensure that no two exams are scheduled on the same time for courses that are being taken by the same set of students. The proposed technique has been tested using real data drawn from Applied Studies College (ASC) records.