Scheduling Problems and Critical Path Analysis is a part of the VCE Further Maths topic Networks and Decision Mathematics. Critical Path Analysis identifies the activities required to complete a project as well as the time necessary to complete each activity and the relationships between the activity. It predicts when a project is due to be finished and when it can be started.
For a project, the shortest completion time is always ideal. To do this, we must find the Earliest Starting Time (EST). Once that amount of time has passed, a project can start. The process is called Forward Scanning. Sometimes, we have some flexibility in the start time of activities, as long as they occur before the Latest Start Time (LST). To calculate LST, we start at the final activity in a process called backward scanning.Â
What is Critical Path Analysis?
The following video introduces the concept and its uses.
Filling in Precedence Tables
This video highlights how to fill in precedence tables to allow you to complete Critical Path questions.
Earliest and Latest Starting Times, and Latest Finishing Time
This next video introduces the idea of the earliest starting time and latest finishing time.
Watch this next video to learn how to find the latest starting time.
Want to learn more? Check out more of our VCE Mathematics resources here!
