Ensemble of Population-Based Metaheuristic Algorithms

No optimization algorithm can obtain satisfactory results in all optimization tasks.Thus,it is an effective way to deal with the problem by an ensemble ofmultiple algorithms.This paper proposes an ensemble of population-based metaheuristics(EPM)to solve single-objective optimization problems.The design of the EPM framework includes three stages:the initial stage,the update stage,and the final stage.The framework applies the transformation of the real and virtual population to balance the problem of exploration and exploitation at the population level and uses an elite strategy to communicate among virtual populations.The experiment tested two benchmark function sets with fivemetaheuristic algorithms and four ensemble algorithms.The ensemble algorithms are generally superior to the original algorithms by Friedman’s average ranking andWilcoxon signed ranking test results,demonstrating the ensemble framework’s effect.By solving the iterative curves of different test functions,we can see that the ensemble algorithms have faster iterative optimization speed and better optimization results.The ensemble algorithms cannot fall into local optimumby virtual populations distribution map of several stages.The ensemble framework performs well from the effects of solving two practical engineering problems.Some results of ensemble algorithms are superior to those of metaheuristic algorithms not included in the ensemble framework,further demonstrating the ensemble method’s potential and superiority.

A new evolutionary algorithm for constrained optimization problems

To solve single-objective constrained optimization problems,a new population-based evolutionary algorithm with elite strategy(PEAES) is proposed with the concept of single and multi-objective optimization.Constrained functions are combined to be an objective function.During the evolutionary process,the current optimal solution is found and treated as the reference point to divide the population into three sub-populations:one feasible and two infeasible ones.Different evolutionary operations of single or multi-objective optimization are respectively performed in each sub-population with elite strategy.Thirteen famous benchmark functions are selected to evaluate the performance of PEAES in comparison of other three optimization methods.The results show the proposed method is valid in efficiency,precision and probability for solving single-objective constrained optimization problems.

Multi-objective Function Optimization for Environmental Control of a Greenhouse Based on a RBF and NSGA-Ⅱ

To better meet the needs of crop growth and achieve energy savings and efficiency enhancements,constructing a reliable environmental model to optimize greenhouse decision parameters is an important problem to be solved.In this work,a radial-basis function(RBF)neural network was used to mine the potential changes of a greenhouse environment,a temperature error model was established,a multi-objective optimization function of energy consumption was constructed and the corresponding decision parameters were optimized by using a non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm with an elite strategy(NSGA-Ⅱ).The simulation results showed that RBF could clarify the nonlinear relationship among the greenhouse environment variables and decision parameters and the greenhouse temperature.The NSGA-Ⅱ could well search for the Pareto solution for the objective functions.The experimental results showed that after 40 min of combined control of sunshades and sprays,the temperature was reduced from 31℃to 25℃,and the power consumption was 0.5 MJ.Compared with tire three days of July 24,July 25 and July 26,2017,the energy consumption of the controlled production greenhouse was reduced by 37.5%,9.1%and 28.5%,respectively.

BEESO:Multi-strategy Boosted Snake-Inspired Optimizer for Engineering Applications

This paper presents an efficient enhanced snake optimizer termed BEESO for global optimization and engineering applications.As a newly mooted meta-heuristic algorithm,snake optimizer(SO)mathematically models the mating characteristics of snakes to find the optimal solution.SO has a simple structure and offers a delicate balance between exploitation and exploration.However,it also has some shortcomings to be improved.The proposed BEESO consequently aims to lighten the issues of lack of population diversity,convergence slowness,and the tendency to be stuck in local optima in SO.The presentation of Bi-Directional Search(BDS)is to approach the global optimal value along the direction guided by the best and the worst individuals,which makes the convergence speed faster.The increase in population diversity in BEESO benefits from Modified Evolutionary Population Dynamics(MEPD),and the replacement of poorer quality individuals improves population quality.The Elite Opposition-Based Learning(EOBL)provides improved local exploitation ability of BEESO by utilizing solid solutions with good performance.The performance of BEESO is illustrated by comparing its experimental results with several algorithms on benchmark functions and engineering designs.Additionally,the results of the experiment are analyzed again from a statistical point of view using the Friedman and Wilcoxon rank sum tests.The findings show that these introduced strategies provide some improvements in the performance of SO,and the accuracy and stability of the optimization results provided by the proposed BEESO are competitive among all algorithms.To conclude,the proposed BEESO offers a good alternative to solving optimization issues.

Parameter influence law analysis and optimal design of a dual mass flywheel

The influence of the dynamic parameters of a dual mass flywheel(DMF)on its vibration reduction performance is analyzed,and several optimization algorithms are used to carry out multiobjective DMF optimization design.First,the vehicle powertrain system is modeled according to the parameter configuration of the test vehicle.The accuracy of the model is verified by comparing the simulation data with the test results.Then,the model is used to analyze the influence of the moment of inertia ratio,torsional stiffness,and damping in reducing DMF vibration.The speed fluctuation amplitude at the transmission input shaft and the natural frequency of the vehicle are taken as the optimization objectives.The passive selection method,multiobjective particle swarm optimization,and the nondominated sorting genetic algorithm based on an elite strategy are used to carry out DMF multiobjective optimization design.The advantages and disadvantages of these algorithms are evaluated,and the best optimization algorithm is selected.

An adaptive multi-population genetic algorithm for job-shop scheduling problem

Job-shop scheduling problem （JSP） is a typical NP-hard combinatorial optimization problem and has a broad background for engineering application. Nowadays, the effective approach for JSP is a hot topic in related research area of manufacturing system. However, some JSPs, even for moderate size instances, are very difficult to find an optimal solution within a reasonable time because of the process constraints and the complex large solution space. In this paper, an adaptive multi-population genetic algorithm （AMGA） has been proposed to solve this prob- lem. Firstly, using multi-populations and adaptive cross- over probability can enlarge search scope and improve search performance. Secondly, using adaptive mutation probability and elite replacing mechanism can accelerate convergence speed. The approach is tested for some clas- sical benchmark JSPs taken from the literature and com- pared with some other approaches. The computational results show that the proposed AMGA can produce optimal or near-optimal values on almost all tested benchmark instances. Therefore, we can believe that AMGA can be considered as an effective method for solving JSP.