Mixed integer linear programming for cadet dormitory placement at Indonesia Defense University

Abstract

Cadet dormitory placement at Indonesian Defense University was currently performed manually by administrative staff, resulting in potential inefficiencies in room assignments regarding walking distance, study program cohesion, and cadet preferences. This research developed a Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) optimization model to automate and improve the dormitory assignment process for military education institutions. The general framework addresses 1,550 cadets distributed across four cohorts and 13 study programs in   dormitory buildings with standardized configurations (3 floors, 25 rooms per floor, 2 cadets per room). The MILP model incorporated three objectives: minimizing total walking distance to academic facilities, maximizing study program cohesion by concentrating programs within specific floors, and maximizing cadet floor preference satisfaction. The model was formulated with configurable weight parameters (w₁, w₂, w₃) enabling administrators to balance competing objectives according to institutional priorities. A validation case study with 38 male cadets from two study programs demonstrated computational feasibility, with the CBC solver achieving optimal solutions in 0.34 seconds (strict constraint approach) and 0.11 seconds (maximum occupancy approach) on standard desktop hardware, both with 0.00% MIP gap confirming proven optimality. The validation study compared two policy approaches: strict constraint enforcement achieving 95% room occupancy with 20 rooms, and maximum space utilization achieving 100% occupancy with 19 rooms. This research contributed the first application of MILP optimization to military education dormitory management in Indonesia, providing a scalable framework with empirical validation for computational tractability and a replicable methodology for resource allocation optimization in defense institutions.