Even Search in a Promising Region for Constrained Multi-Objective Optimization

In recent years, a large number of approaches to constrained multi-objective optimization problems(CMOPs) have been proposed, focusing on developing tweaked strategies and techniques for handling constraints. However, an overly finetuned strategy or technique might overfit some problem types,resulting in a lack of versatility. In this article, we propose a generic search strategy that performs an even search in a promising region. The promising region, determined by obtained feasible non-dominated solutions, possesses two general properties.First, the constrained Pareto front(CPF) is included in the promising region. Second, as the number of feasible solutions increases or the convergence performance(i.e., approximation to the CPF) of these solutions improves, the promising region shrinks. Then we develop a new strategy named even search,which utilizes the non-dominated solutions to accelerate convergence and escape from local optima, and the feasible solutions under a constraint relaxation condition to exploit and detect feasible regions. Finally, a diversity measure is adopted to make sure that the individuals in the population evenly cover the valuable areas in the promising region. Experimental results on 45 instances from four benchmark test suites and 14 real-world CMOPs have demonstrated that searching evenly in the promising region can achieve competitive performance and excellent versatility compared to 11 most state-of-the-art methods tailored for CMOPs.

Constraints Separation Based Evolutionary Multitasking for Constrained Multi-Objective Optimization Problems

Constrained multi-objective optimization problems(CMOPs)generally contain multiple constraints,which not only form multiple discrete feasible regions but also reduce the size of optimal feasible regions,thus they propose serious challenges for solvers.Among all constraints,some constraints are highly correlated with optimal feasible regions;thus they can provide effective help to find feasible Pareto front.However,most of the existing constrained multi-objective evolutionary algorithms tackle constraints by regarding all constraints as a whole or directly ignoring all constraints,and do not consider judging the relations among constraints and do not utilize the information from promising single constraints.Therefore,this paper attempts to identify promising single constraints and utilize them to help solve CMOPs.To be specific,a CMOP is transformed into a multitasking optimization problem,where multiple auxiliary tasks are created to search for the Pareto fronts that only consider a single constraint respectively.Besides,an auxiliary task priority method is designed to identify and retain some high-related auxiliary tasks according to the information of relative positions and dominance relationships.Moreover,an improved tentative method is designed to find and transfer useful knowledge among tasks.Experimental results on three benchmark test suites and 11 realworld problems with different numbers of constraints show better or competitive performance of the proposed method when compared with eight state-of-the-art peer methods.

Constrained Multi-Objective Optimization With Deep Reinforcement Learning Assisted Operator Selection

Solving constrained multi-objective optimization problems with evolutionary algorithms has attracted considerable attention.Various constrained multi-objective optimization evolutionary algorithms(CMOEAs)have been developed with the use of different algorithmic strategies,evolutionary operators,and constraint-handling techniques.The performance of CMOEAs may be heavily dependent on the operators used,however,it is usually difficult to select suitable operators for the problem at hand.Hence,improving operator selection is promising and necessary for CMOEAs.This work proposes an online operator selection framework assisted by Deep Reinforcement Learning.The dynamics of the population,including convergence,diversity,and feasibility,are regarded as the state;the candidate operators are considered as actions;and the improvement of the population state is treated as the reward.By using a Q-network to learn a policy to estimate the Q-values of all actions,the proposed approach can adaptively select an operator that maximizes the improvement of the population according to the current state and thereby improve the algorithmic performance.The framework is embedded into four popular CMOEAs and assessed on 42 benchmark problems.The experimental results reveal that the proposed Deep Reinforcement Learning-assisted operator selection significantly improves the performance of these CMOEAs and the resulting algorithm obtains better versatility compared to nine state-of-the-art CMOEAs.

Immune Optimization Approach for Dynamic Constrained Multi-Objective Multimodal Optimization Problems

This work investigates one immune optimization approach for dynamic constrained multi-objective multimodal optimization in terms of biological immune inspirations and the concept of constraint dominance. Such approach includes mainly three functional modules, environmental detection, population initialization and immune evolution. The first, inspired by the function of immune surveillance, is designed to detect the change of such kind of problem and to decide the type of a new environment;the second generates an initial population for the current environment, relying upon the result of detection;the last evolves two sub-populations along multiple directions and searches those excellent and diverse candidates. Experimental results show that the proposed approach can adaptively track the environmental change and effectively find the global Pareto-optimal front in each environment.

Multi-objective integrated optimization based on evolutionary strategy with a dynamic weighting schedule

The evolutionary strategy with a dynamic weighting schedule is proposed to find all the compromised solutions of the multi-objective integrated structure and control optimization problem, where the optimal system performance and control cost are defined by H2 or H∞ norms. During this optimization process, the weights are varying with the increasing generation instead of fixed values. The proposed strategy together with the linear matrix inequality （LMI） or the Riccati controller design method can find a series of uniformly distributed nondominated solutions in a single run. Therefore, this method can greatly reduce the computation intensity of the integrated optimization problem compared with the weight-based single objective genetic algorithm. Active automotive suspension is adopted as an example to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Multiobjective evolutionary algorithm for dynamic nonlinear constrained optimization problems

A new method to solve dynamic nonlinear constrained optimization problems （DNCOP） is proposed. First, the time （environment） variable period of DNCOP is divided into several equal subperiods. In each subperiod, the DNCOP is approximated by a static nonlinear constrained optimization problem （SNCOP）. Second, for each SNCOP, inspired by the idea of multiobjective optimization, it is transformed into a static bi-objective optimization problem. As a result, the original DNCOP is approximately transformed into several static bi-objective optimization problems. Third, a new multiobjective evolutionary algorithm is proposed based on a new selection operator and an improved nonuniformity mutation operator. The simulation results indicate that the proposed algorithm is effective for DNCOP.

Evolutionary Multitasking With Global and Local Auxiliary Tasks for Constrained Multi-Objective Optimization

Constrained multi-objective optimization problems(CMOPs) include the optimization of objective functions and the satisfaction of constraint conditions, which challenge the solvers.To solve CMOPs, constrained multi-objective evolutionary algorithms(CMOEAs) have been developed. However, most of them tend to converge into local areas due to the loss of diversity. Evolutionary multitasking(EMT) is new model of solving complex optimization problems, through the knowledge transfer between the source task and other related tasks. Inspired by EMT, this paper develops a new EMT-based CMOEA to solve CMOPs, in which the main task, a global auxiliary task, and a local auxiliary task are created and optimized by one specific population respectively. The main task focuses on finding the feasible Pareto front(PF), and global and local auxiliary tasks are used to respectively enhance global and local diversity. Moreover, the global auxiliary task is used to implement the global search by ignoring constraints, so as to help the population of the main task pass through infeasible obstacles. The local auxiliary task is used to provide local diversity around the population of the main task, so as to exploit promising regions. Through the knowledge transfer among the three tasks, the search ability of the population of the main task will be significantly improved. Compared with other state-of-the-art CMOEAs, the experimental results on three benchmark test suites demonstrate the superior or competitive performance of the proposed CMOEA.

Novel constrained multi-objective biogeography-based optimization algorithm for robot path planning

A constrained multi-objective biogeography-based optimization algorithm （CMBOA） was proposed to solve robot path planning （RPP）. For RPP, the length and smoothness of path were taken as the optimization objectives, and the distance from the obstacles was constraint. In CMBOA, a new migration operator with disturbance factor was designed and applied to the feasible population to generate many more non-dominated feasible individuals; meanwhile, some infeasible individuals nearby feasible region were recombined with the nearest feasible ones to approach the feasibility. Compared with classical multi-objective evolutionary algorithms, the current study indicates that CM- BOA has better performance for RPP.

Dynamic Multi-objective Optimization of Chemical Processes Using Modified BareBones MOPSO Algorithm

Dynamic multi-objective optimization is a complex and difficult research topic of process systems engineering. In this paper,a modified multi-objective bare-bones particle swarm optimization( MOBBPSO) algorithm is proposed that takes advantage of a few parameters of bare-bones algorithm. To avoid premature convergence,Gaussian mutation is introduced; and an adaptive sampling distribution strategy is also used to improve the exploratory capability. Moreover, a circular crowded sorting approach is adopted to improve the uniformity of the population distribution.Finally, by combining the algorithm with control vector parameterization,an approach is proposed to solve the dynamic optimization problems of chemical processes. It is proved that the new algorithm performs better compared with other classic multiobjective optimization algorithms through the results of solving three dynamic optimization problems.

Electric Vehicle Charging Load Optimization Strategy Based on Dynamic Time-of-Use Tariff

Electric vehicle(EV)is an ideal solution to resolve the carbon emission issue and the fossil fuels scarcity problem in the future.However,a large number of EVs will be concentrated on charging during the valley hours leading to new load peaks under the guidance of static time-of-use tariff.Therefore,this paper proposes a dynamic time-of-use tariff mechanism,which redefines the peak and valley time periods according to the predicted loads using the fuzzy C-mean(FCM)clustering algorithm,and then dynamically adjusts the peak and valley tariffs according to the actual load of each time period.Based on the proposed tariff mechanism,an EV charging optimization model with the lowest cost to the users and the lowest variance of the grid-side load as the objective function is established.Then,a weight selection principle with an equal loss rate of the two objectives is proposed to transform the multi-objective optimization problem into a single-objective optimization problem.Finally,the EV charging load optimization model under three tariff strategies is set up and solved with the mathematical solver GROUBI.The results show that the EV charging load optimization strategy based on the dynamic time-of-use tariff can better balance the benefits between charging stations and users under different numbers and proportions of EVs connected to the grid,and can effectively reduce the grid load variance and improve the grid load curve.

MULTI-OBJECTIVE SHAPE DESIGN IN AERODYNAMICS USING GAME STRATEGY

Multi-objective optimization for the optimum shape design is introduced in aerodynamics using the Game theory. Based on the control theory, the employed optimizer and the negative feedback are used to implement the constraints. All the constraints are satisfied implicitly and automatically in the design. Furthermore,the above methodology is combined with a formulation derived from the Game theory to treat multi-point airfoil optimization. Airfoil shapes are optimized according to various aerodynamics criteria. In the symmetric Nash game, each “player” is responsible for one criterion, and the Nash equilibrium provides a solution to the multipoint optimization. Design results confirm the efficiency of the method.

Optimal Design of the Modular Joint Drive Train for Enhancing Cobot Load Capacity and Dynamic Performance

Automation advancements prompts the extensive integration of collaborative robot(cobot)across a range of industries.Compared to the commonly used design approach of increasing the payload-to-weight ratio of cobot to enhance load capacity,equal attention should be paid to the dynamic response characteristics of cobot during the design process to make the cobot more flexible.In this paper,a new method for designing the drive train parameters of cobot is proposed.Firstly,based on the analysis of factors influencing the load capacity and dynamic response characteristics,design criteria for both aspects are established for cobot with all optimization design criteria normalized within the design domain.Secondly,with the cobot in the horizontal pose,the motor design scheme is discretized and it takes the joint motor diameter and gearbox speed ratio as optimization design variables.Finally,all the discrete values of the optimization objectives are obtained through the enumeration method and the Pareto front is used to select the optimal solution through multi-objective optimization.Base on the cobot design method proposed in this paper,a six-axis cobot is designed and compared with the commercial cobot.The result shows that the load capacity of the designed cobot in this paper reaches 8.4 kg,surpassing the 5 kg load capacity commercial cobot which is used as a benchmark.The minimum resonance frequency of the joints is 42.70 Hz.

Research on Optimization of Freight Train ATO Based on Elite Competition Multi-Objective Particle Swarm Optimization

In view of the complex problems that freight train ATO (automatic train operation) needs to comprehensively consider punctuality, energy saving and safety, a dynamics model of the freight train operation process is established based on the safety and the freight train dynamics model in the process of its operation. The algorithm of combining elite competition strategy with multi-objective particle swarm optimization technology is introduced, and the winning particles are obtained through the competition between two elite particles to guide the update of other particles, so as to balance the convergence and distribution of multi-objective particle swarm optimization. The performance comparison experimental results verify the superiority of the proposed algorithm. The simulation experiments of the actual line verify the feasibility of the model and the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.

Modified Differential Evolution Algorithm for Solving Dynamic Optimization with Existence of Infeasible Environments

Dynamic constrained optimization is a challenging research topic in which the objective function and/or constraints change over time.In such problems,it is commonly assumed that all problem instances are feasible.In reality some instances can be infeasible due to various practical issues,such as a sudden change in resource requirements or a big change in the availability of resources.Decision-makers have to determine whether a particular instance is feasible or not,as infeasible instances cannot be solved as there are no solutions to implement.In this case,locating the nearest feasible solution would be valuable information for the decision-makers.In this paper,a differential evolution algorithm is proposed for solving dynamic constrained problems that learns from past environments and transfers important knowledge from them to use in solving the current instance and includes a mechanism for suggesting a good feasible solution when an instance is infeasible.To judge the performance of the proposed algorithm,13 well-known dynamic test problems were solved.The results indicate that the proposed algorithm outperforms existing recent algorithms with a margin of 79.40%over all the environments and it can also find a good,but infeasible solution,when an instance is infeasible.

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.

An Improved Multi-Objective Particle Swarm Optimization Routing on MANET

A Mobile Ad hoc Network(MANET)is a group of low-power con-sumption of wireless mobile nodes that configure a wireless network without the assistance of any existing infrastructure/centralized organization.The primary aim of MANETs is to extendflexibility into the self-directed,mobile,and wireless domain,in which a cluster of autonomous nodes forms a MANET routing system.An Intrusion Detection System(IDS)is a tool that examines a network for mal-icious behavior/policy violations.A network monitoring system is often used to report/gather any suspicious attacks/violations.An IDS is a software program or hardware system that monitors network/security traffic for malicious attacks,sending out alerts whenever it detects malicious nodes.The impact of Dynamic Source Routing(DSR)in MANETs challenging blackhole attack is investigated in this research article.The Cluster Trust Adaptive Acknowledgement(CTAA)method is used to identify unauthorised and malfunctioning nodes in a MANET environment.MANET system is active and provides successful delivery of a data packet,which implements Kalman Filters(KF)to anticipate node trustworthiness.Furthermore,KF is used to eliminate synchronisation errors that arise during the sending and receiving data.In order to provide an energy-efficient solution and to minimize network traffic,route optimization in MANET by using Multi-Objective Particle Swarm Optimization(MOPSO)technique to determine the optimal num-ber of clustered MANET along with energy dissipation in nodes.According to the researchfindings,the proposed CTAA-MPSO achieves a Packet Delivery Ratio(PDR)of 3.3%.In MANET,the PDR of CTAA-MPSO improves CTAA-PSO by 3.5%at 30%malware.

A Parallel Search System for Dynamic Multi-Objective Traveling Salesman Problem

This paper introduces a parallel search system for dynamic multi-objective traveling salesman problem. We design a multi-objective TSP in a stochastic dynamic environment. This dynamic setting of the problem is very useful for routing in ad-hoc networks. The proposed search system first uses parallel processors to identify the extreme solutions of the search space for each ofk objectives individually at the same time. These solutions are merged into the so-called hit-frequency matrix E. The solutions in E are then searched by parallel processors and evaluated for dominance relationship. The search system is implemented in two different ways master-worker architecture and pipeline architecture.

Optimal design of dynamic and control performance for planar manipulator

A design and optimization approach of dynamic and control performance for a two-DOF planar manipulator was proposed.After the kinematic and dynamic analysis,several advantages of the mechanism were illustrated,which made it possible to obtain good dynamic and control performances just through mechanism optimization.Based on the idea of design for control(DFC),a novel kind of multi-objective optimization model was proposed.There were three optimization objectives:the index of inertia,the index describing the dynamic coupling effects and the global condition number.Other indexes to characterize the designing requirements such as the velocity of end-effector,the workspace size,and the first mode natural frequency were regarded as the constraints.The cross-section area and length of the linkages were chosen as the design variables.NSGA-II algorithm was introduced to solve this complex multi-objective optimization problem.Additional criteria from engineering experience were incorporated into the selecting of final parameters among the obtained Pareto solution sets.Finally,experiments were performed to validate the linear dynamic structure and control performances of the optimized mechanisms.A new expression for measuring the dynamic coupling degree with clear physical meaning was proposed.The results show that the optimized mechanism has an approximate decoupled dynamics structure,and each active joint can be regarded as a linear SISO system.The control performances of the linear and nonlinear controllers were also compared.It can be concluded that the optimized mechanism can achieve good control performance only using a linear controller.

Multi-Objective Multi-Variable Large-Size Fan Aerodynamic Optimization by Using Multi-Model Ensemble Optimization Algorithm

The constrained multi-objective multi-variable optimization of fans usually needs a great deal of computational fluid dynamics(CFD)calculations and is time-consuming.In this study,a new multi-model ensemble optimization algorithm is proposed to tackle such an expensive optimization problem.The multi-variable and multi-objective optimization are conducted with a new flexible multi-objective infill criterion.In addition,the search direction is determined by the multi-model ensemble assisted evolutionary algorithm and the feature extraction by the principal component analysis is used to reduce the dimension of optimization variables.First,the proposed algorithm and other two optimization algorithms which prevail in fan optimizations were compared by using test functions.With the same number of objective function evaluations,the proposed algorithm shows a fast convergency rate on finding the optimal objective function values.Then,this algorithm was used to optimize the rotor and stator blades of a large axial fan,with the efficiencies as the objectives at three flow rates,the high,the design and the low flow rate.Forty-two variables were included in the optimization process.The results show that compared with the prototype fan,the total pressure efficiencies of the optimized fan at the high,the design and the low flow rate were increased by 3.35%,3.07%and 2.89%,respectively,after CFD simulations for 500 fan candidates with the constraint for the design pressure.The optimization results validate the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed algorithm.

A Multi-Objective Optimal Evolutionary Algorithm Based on Tree-Ranking

Multi-objective optimal evolutionary algorithms (MOEAs) are a kind of new effective algorithms to solve Multi-objective optimal problem (MOP). Because ranking, a method which is used by most MOEAs to solve MOP, has some shortcoming s, in this paper, we proposed a new method using tree structure to express the relationship of solutions. Experiments prove that the method can reach the Pare-to front, retain the diversity of the population, and use less time.