Factorseating

Factorseating is a concept in operations research and event design that refers to assigning seats to individuals by taking into account multiple factors, such as social relationships, roles, preferences, and accessibility needs. The goal is to produce a seating arrangement that optimizes a defined objective, for example maximizing attendee satisfaction or facilitating intended interactions.

Problem formulation: The factorseating problem involves a set of attendees, a set of seats (possibly grouped into tables or zones), and a set of factors or constraints. An objective function, such as minimizing conflict or maximizing proximity of related attendees, guides a one-to-one assignment of attendees to seats subject to capacity and adjacency constraints. Variants handle multi-seat tables, dynamic changes, or fairness criteria.

Methods: Classical approaches use integer linear programming or constraint programming to compute optimal assignments. Heuristics, local search, and metaheuristics (greedy algorithms, simulated annealing, tabu search) offer scalable solutions for larger events. Some models incorporate probabilistic preferences or uncertainty in attendance.

Applications and examples: Factorseating is used in conferences, classrooms, banquets, and performance venues to improve networking, learning outcomes, or overall experience. It can also support accessibility goals by ensuring seats match mobility or sensory needs.

Limitations: The complexity of real-world constraints can grow quickly with event size. Privacy concerns may arise when modeling personal attributes. Dynamic changes, such as late arrivals, require re-optimization. The term remains primarily descriptive and is not tied to a single standard formulation.