A 3/2-approximation algorithm for the graph balancing problem with two weights (Q1736801)

Summary: In the pursuit of finding subclasses of the makespan minimization problem on unrelated parallel machines that have approximation algorithms with approximation ratio better than 2, the graph balancing problem has been of current interest. In the graph balancing problem each job can be non-preemptively scheduled on one of at most two machines with the same processing time on either machine. Recently, \textit{T. Ebenlendr} et al. [Algorithmica 68, No. 1, 62--80 (2014; Zbl 1295.68214)] presented a \(7/4\)-approximation algorithm for the graph balancing problem. Let \(r\), \(s \in \mathbb Z^+\). In this paper we consider the graph balancing problem with two weights, where a job either takes \(r\) time units or \(s\) time units. We present a \(3/2\)-approximation algorithm for this problem. This is an improvement over the previously best-known approximation algorithm for the problem with approximation ratio 1.652 and it matches the best known inapproximability bound for it.