Enhancing Evolutionary Algorithms With Pattern Mining for Sparse Large-Scale Multi-Objective Optimization Problems

Sparse large-scale multi-objective optimization problems(SLMOPs)are common in science and engineering.However,the large-scale problem represents the high dimensionality of the decision space,requiring algorithms to traverse vast expanse with limited computational resources.Furthermore,in the context of sparse,most variables in Pareto optimal solutions are zero,making it difficult for algorithms to identify non-zero variables efficiently.This paper is dedicated to addressing the challenges posed by SLMOPs.To start,we introduce innovative objective functions customized to mine maximum and minimum candidate sets.This substantial enhancement dramatically improves the efficacy of frequent pattern mining.In this way,selecting candidate sets is no longer based on the quantity of nonzero variables they contain but on a higher proportion of nonzero variables within specific dimensions.Additionally,we unveil a novel approach to association rule mining,which delves into the intricate relationships between non-zero variables.This novel methodology aids in identifying sparse distributions that can potentially expedite reductions in the objective function value.We extensively tested our algorithm across eight benchmark problems and four real-world SLMOPs.The results demonstrate that our approach achieves competitive solutions across various challenges.

Multi-Objective Optimization Algorithm for Grouping Decision Variables Based on Extreme Point Pareto Frontier

The existing algorithms for solving multi-objective optimization problems fall into three main categories:Decomposition-based,dominance-based,and indicator-based.Traditional multi-objective optimization problemsmainly focus on objectives,treating decision variables as a total variable to solve the problem without consideringthe critical role of decision variables in objective optimization.As seen,a variety of decision variable groupingalgorithms have been proposed.However,these algorithms are relatively broad for the changes of most decisionvariables in the evolution process and are time-consuming in the process of finding the Pareto frontier.To solvethese problems,a multi-objective optimization algorithm for grouping decision variables based on extreme pointPareto frontier(MOEA-DV/EPF)is proposed.This algorithm adopts a preprocessing rule to solve the Paretooptimal solution set of extreme points generated by simultaneous evolution in various target directions,obtainsthe basic Pareto front surface to determine the convergence effect,and analyzes the convergence and distributioneffects of decision variables.In the later stages of algorithm optimization,different mutation strategies are adoptedaccording to the nature of the decision variables to speed up the rate of evolution to obtain excellent individuals,thusenhancing the performance of the algorithm.Evaluation validation of the test functions shows that this algorithmcan solve the multi-objective optimization problem more efficiently.

Multi-Strategy Assisted Multi-Objective Whale Optimization Algorithm for Feature Selection

In classification problems,datasets often contain a large amount of features,but not all of them are relevant for accurate classification.In fact,irrelevant features may even hinder classification accuracy.Feature selection aims to alleviate this issue by minimizing the number of features in the subset while simultaneously minimizing the classification error rate.Single-objective optimization approaches employ an evaluation function designed as an aggregate function with a parameter,but the results obtained depend on the value of the parameter.To eliminate this parameter’s influence,the problem can be reformulated as a multi-objective optimization problem.The Whale Optimization Algorithm(WOA)is widely used in optimization problems because of its simplicity and easy implementation.In this paper,we propose a multi-strategy assisted multi-objective WOA(MSMOWOA)to address feature selection.To enhance the algorithm’s search ability,we integrate multiple strategies such as Levy flight,Grey Wolf Optimizer,and adaptive mutation into it.Additionally,we utilize an external repository to store non-dominant solution sets and grid technology is used to maintain diversity.Results on fourteen University of California Irvine(UCI)datasets demonstrate that our proposed method effectively removes redundant features and improves classification performance.The source code can be accessed from the website:https://github.com/zc0315/MSMOWOA.

Multi-Objective Optimization of VBHF in Deep Drawing Based on the Improved QO-Jaya Algorithm

Blank holder force(BHF)is a crucial parameter in deep drawing,having close relation with the forming quality of sheet metal.However,there are different BHFs maintaining the best forming effect in different stages of deep drawing.The variable blank holder force(VBHF)varying with the drawing stage can overcome this problem at an extent.The optimization of VBHF is to determine the optimal BHF in every deep drawing stage.In this paper,a new heuristic optimization algorithm named Jaya is introduced to solve the optimization efficiently.An improved“Quasi-oppositional”strategy is added to Jaya algorithm for improving population diversity.Meanwhile,an innovated stop criterion is added for better convergence.Firstly,the quality evaluation criteria for wrinkling and tearing are built.Secondly,the Kriging models are developed to approximate and quantify the relation between VBHF and forming defects under random sampling.Finally,the optimization models are established and solved by the improved QO-Jaya algorithm.A VBHF optimization example of component with complicated shape and thin wall is studied to prove the effectiveness of the improved Jaya algorithm.The optimization results are compared with that obtained by other algorithms based on the TOPSIS method.

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.

Large-Scale Multi-Objective Optimization Algorithm Based on Weighted Overlapping Grouping of Decision Variables

The large-scale multi-objective optimization algorithm(LSMOA),based on the grouping of decision variables,is an advanced method for handling high-dimensional decision variables.However,in practical problems,the interaction among decision variables is intricate,leading to large group sizes and suboptimal optimization effects;hence a large-scale multi-objective optimization algorithm based on weighted overlapping grouping of decision variables(MOEAWOD)is proposed in this paper.Initially,the decision variables are perturbed and categorized into convergence and diversity variables;subsequently,the convergence variables are subdivided into groups based on the interactions among different decision variables.If the size of a group surpasses the set threshold,that group undergoes a process of weighting and overlapping grouping.Specifically,the interaction strength is evaluated based on the interaction frequency and number of objectives among various decision variables.The decision variable with the highest interaction in the group is identified and disregarded,and the remaining variables are then reclassified into subgroups.Finally,the decision variable with the strongest interaction is added to each subgroup.MOEAWOD minimizes the interactivity between different groups and maximizes the interactivity of decision variables within groups,which contributed to the optimized direction of convergence and diversity exploration with different groups.MOEAWOD was subjected to testing on 18 benchmark large-scale optimization problems,and the experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of our methods.Compared with the other algorithms,our method is still at an advantage.

A Survey of Evolutionary Algorithms for Multi-Objective Optimization Problems With Irregular Pareto Fronts

Evolutionary algorithms have been shown to be very successful in solving multi-objective optimization problems(MOPs).However,their performance often deteriorates when solving MOPs with irregular Pareto fronts.To remedy this issue,a large body of research has been performed in recent years and many new algorithms have been proposed.This paper provides a comprehensive survey of the research on MOPs with irregular Pareto fronts.We start with a brief introduction to the basic concepts,followed by a summary of the benchmark test problems with irregular problems,an analysis of the causes of the irregularity,and real-world optimization problems with irregular Pareto fronts.Then,a taxonomy of the existing methodologies for handling irregular problems is given and representative algorithms are reviewed with a discussion of their strengths and weaknesses.Finally,open challenges are pointed out and a few promising future directions are suggested.

A Fast Clustering Based Evolutionary Algorithm for Super-Large-Scale Sparse Multi-Objective Optimization

During the last three decades,evolutionary algorithms(EAs)have shown superiority in solving complex optimization problems,especially those with multiple objectives and non-differentiable landscapes.However,due to the stochastic search strategies,the performance of most EAs deteriorates drastically when handling a large number of decision variables.To tackle the curse of dimensionality,this work proposes an efficient EA for solving super-large-scale multi-objective optimization problems with sparse optimal solutions.The proposed algorithm estimates the sparse distribution of optimal solutions by optimizing a binary vector for each solution,and provides a fast clustering method to highly reduce the dimensionality of the search space.More importantly,all the operations related to the decision variables only contain several matrix calculations,which can be directly accelerated by GPUs.While existing EAs are capable of handling fewer than 10000 real variables,the proposed algorithm is verified to be effective in handling 1000000 real variables.Furthermore,since the proposed algorithm handles the large number of variables via accelerated matrix calculations,its runtime can be reduced to less than 10%of the runtime of existing EAs.

Integrating Conjugate Gradients Into Evolutionary Algorithms for Large-Scale Continuous Multi-Objective Optimization

Large-scale multi-objective optimization problems(LSMOPs)pose challenges to existing optimizers since a set of well-converged and diverse solutions should be found in huge search spaces.While evolutionary algorithms are good at solving small-scale multi-objective optimization problems,they are criticized for low efficiency in converging to the optimums of LSMOPs.By contrast,mathematical programming methods offer fast convergence speed on large-scale single-objective optimization problems,but they have difficulties in finding diverse solutions for LSMOPs.Currently,how to integrate evolutionary algorithms with mathematical programming methods to solve LSMOPs remains unexplored.In this paper,a hybrid algorithm is tailored for LSMOPs by coupling differential evolution and a conjugate gradient method.On the one hand,conjugate gradients and differential evolution are used to update different decision variables of a set of solutions,where the former drives the solutions to quickly converge towards the Pareto front and the latter promotes the diversity of the solutions to cover the whole Pareto front.On the other hand,objective decomposition strategy of evolutionary multi-objective optimization is used to differentiate the conjugate gradients of solutions,and the line search strategy of mathematical programming is used to ensure the higher quality of each offspring than its parent.In comparison with state-of-the-art evolutionary algorithms,mathematical programming methods,and hybrid algorithms,the proposed algorithm exhibits better convergence and diversity performance on a variety of benchmark and real-world LSMOPs.

A New Evolutionary Algorithm for Solving Multi-Objective Optimization Problems

Multi-objective optimization is a new focus of evolutionary computation research. This paper puts forward a new algorithm, which can not only converge quickly, but also keep diversity among population efficiently, in order to find the Pareto-optimal set. This new algorithm replaces the worst individual with a newly-created one by 'multi-parent crossover' , so that the population could converge near the true Pareto-optimal solutions in the end. At the same time, this new algorithm adopts niching and fitness-sharing techniques to keep the population in a good distribution. Numerical experiments show that the algorithm is rather effective in solving some Benchmarks. No matter whether the Pareto front of problems is convex or non-convex, continuous or discontinuous, and the problems are with constraints or not, the program turns out to do well.

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.

Synergetic Optimization of Missile Shapes for Aerodynamic and Radar Cross-Section Performance Based on Multi-objective Evolutionary Algorithm

A multiple-objective evolutionary algorithm (MOEA) with a new Decision Making (DM) scheme for MOD of conceptual missile shapes was presented, which is contrived to determine suitable tradeoffs from Pareto optimal set using interactive preference articulation. There are two objective functions, to maximize ratio of lift to drag and to minimize radar cross-section (RCS) value. 3D computational electromagnetic solver was used to evaluate RCS, electromagnetic performance. 3D Navier-Stokes flow solver was adopted to evaluate aerodynamic performance. A flight mechanics solver was used to analyze the stability of the missile. Based on the MOEA, a synergetic optimization of missile shapes for aerodynamic and radar cross-section performance is completed. The results show that the proposed approach can be used in more complex optimization case of flight vehicles.

A Two-Layer Encoding Learning Swarm Optimizer Based on Frequent Itemsets for Sparse Large-Scale Multi-Objective Optimization

Traditional large-scale multi-objective optimization algorithms(LSMOEAs)encounter difficulties when dealing with sparse large-scale multi-objective optimization problems(SLM-OPs)where most decision variables are zero.As a result,many algorithms use a two-layer encoding approach to optimize binary variable Mask and real variable Dec separately.Nevertheless,existing optimizers often focus on locating non-zero variable posi-tions to optimize the binary variables Mask.However,approxi-mating the sparse distribution of real Pareto optimal solutions does not necessarily mean that the objective function is optimized.In data mining,it is common to mine frequent itemsets appear-ing together in a dataset to reveal the correlation between data.Inspired by this,we propose a novel two-layer encoding learning swarm optimizer based on frequent itemsets(TELSO)to address these SLMOPs.TELSO mined the frequent terms of multiple particles with better target values to find mask combinations that can obtain better objective values for fast convergence.Experi-mental results on five real-world problems and eight benchmark sets demonstrate that TELSO outperforms existing state-of-the-art sparse large-scale multi-objective evolutionary algorithms(SLMOEAs)in terms of performance and convergence speed.

Interactive Evolutionary Multi-Objective Optimization Algorithm Using Cone Dominance

As the number of objectives increases,the performance of the Pareto dominance-based Evolutionary Multi-objective Optimization( EMO) algorithms such as NSGA-II,SPEA2 severely deteriorates due to the drastic increase in the Pareto-incomparable solutions. We propose a sorting method which classifies these incomparable solutions into several ordered classes by using the decision maker's( DM) preference information.This is accomplished by designing an interactive evolutionary algorithm and constructing convex cones. This method allows the DMs to drive the search process toward a preferred region of the Pareto optimal front. The performance of the proposed algorithm is assessed for two,three,and four-objective knapsack problems. The results demonstrate the algorithm ' s ability to converge to the most preferred point. The evaluation and comparison of the results indicate that the proposed approach gives better solutions than that of NSGA-II. In addition,the approach is more efficient compared to NSGA-II in terms of the number of generations required to reach the preferred point.

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.

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.

MOALG: A Metaheuristic Hybrid of Multi-Objective Ant Lion Optimizer and Genetic Algorithm for Solving Design Problems

This study proposes a hybridization of two efficient algorithm’s Multi-objective Ant Lion Optimizer Algorithm(MOALO)which is a multi-objective enhanced version of the Ant Lion Optimizer Algorithm(ALO)and the Genetic Algorithm(GA).MOALO version has been employed to address those problems containing many objectives and an archive has been employed for retaining the non-dominated solutions.The uniqueness of the hybrid is that the operators like mutation and crossover of GA are employed in the archive to update the solutions and later those solutions go through the process of MOALO.A first-time hybrid of these algorithms is employed to solve multi-objective problems.The hybrid algorithm overcomes the limitation of ALO of getting caught in the local optimum and the requirement of more computational effort to converge GA.To evaluate the hybridized algorithm’s performance,a set of constrained,unconstrained test problems and engineering design problems were employed and compared with five well-known computational algorithms-MOALO,Multi-objective Crystal Structure Algorithm(MOCryStAl),Multi-objective Particle Swarm Optimization(MOPSO),Multi-objective Multiverse Optimization Algorithm(MOMVO),Multi-objective Salp Swarm Algorithm(MSSA).The outcomes of five performance metrics are statistically analyzed and the most efficient Pareto fronts comparison has been obtained.The proposed hybrid surpasses MOALO based on the results of hypervolume(HV),Spread,and Spacing.So primary objective of developing this hybrid approach has been achieved successfully.The proposed approach demonstrates superior performance on the test functions,showcasing robust convergence and comprehensive coverage that surpasses other existing algorithms.

A Multi-Objective Optimization for Locating Maintenance Stations and Operator Dispatching of Corrective Maintenance

In this study,we introduce a novel multi-objective optimization model tailored for modern manufacturing,aiming to mitigate the cost impacts of operational disruptions through optimized corrective maintenance.Central to our approach is the strategic placement of maintenance stations and the efficient allocation of personnel,addressing a crucial gap in the integration of maintenance personnel dispatching and station selection.Our model uniquely combines the spatial distribution of machinery with the expertise of operators to achieve a harmonious balance between maintenance efficiency and cost-effectiveness.The core of our methodology is the NSGA Ⅲ+Dispatch,an advanced adaptation of the Non-Dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm Ⅲ(NSGA-Ⅲ),meticulously designed for the selection of maintenance stations and effective operator dispatching.This method integrates a comprehensive coding process,crossover operator,and mutation operator to efficiently manage multiple objectives.Rigorous empirical testing,including a detailed analysis from a taiwan region electronic equipment manufacturer,validated the effectiveness of our approach across various scenarios of machine failure frequencies and operator configurations.The findings reveal that the proposed model significantly outperforms current practices by reducing response times by up to 23%in low-frequency and 28.23%in high-frequency machine failure scenarios,leading to notable improvements in efficiency and cost reduction.Additionally,it demonstrates significant improvements in oper-ational efficiency,particularly in selective high-frequency failure contexts,while ensuring substantial manpower cost savings without compromising on operational effectiveness.This research significantly advances maintenance strategies in production environments,providing the manufacturing industry with practical,optimized solutions for diverse machine malfunction situations.Furthermore,the methodologies and principles developed in this study have potential applications in various other sectors,including healthcare,transportation,and energy,where maintenance efficiency and resource optimization are equally critical.

Hybrid Hierarchical Particle Swarm Optimization with Evolutionary Artificial Bee Colony Algorithm for Task Scheduling in Cloud Computing

Task scheduling plays a key role in effectively managing and allocating computing resources to meet various computing tasks in a cloud computing environment.Short execution time and low load imbalance may be the challenges for some algorithms in resource scheduling scenarios.In this work,the Hierarchical Particle Swarm Optimization-Evolutionary Artificial Bee Colony Algorithm(HPSO-EABC)has been proposed,which hybrids our presented Evolutionary Artificial Bee Colony(EABC),and Hierarchical Particle Swarm Optimization(HPSO)algorithm.The HPSO-EABC algorithm incorporates both the advantages of the HPSO and the EABC algorithm.Comprehensive testing including evaluations of algorithm convergence speed,resource execution time,load balancing,and operational costs has been done.The results indicate that the EABC algorithm exhibits greater parallelism compared to the Artificial Bee Colony algorithm.Compared with the Particle Swarm Optimization algorithm,the HPSO algorithmnot only improves the global search capability but also effectively mitigates getting stuck in local optima.As a result,the hybrid HPSO-EABC algorithm demonstrates significant improvements in terms of stability and convergence speed.Moreover,it exhibits enhanced resource scheduling performance in both homogeneous and heterogeneous environments,effectively reducing execution time and cost,which also is verified by the ablation experimental.

Multi-objective Optimization of a Parallel Ankle Rehabilitation Robot Using Modified Differential Evolution Algorithm

Dimensional synthesis is one of the most difficult issues in the field of parallel robots with actuation redundancy. To deal with the optimal design of a redundantly actuated parallel robot used for ankle rehabilitation, a methodology of dimensional synthesis based on multi-objective optimization is presented. First, the dimensional synthesis of the redundant parallel robot is formulated as a nonlinear constrained multi-objective optimization problem. Then four objective functions, separately reflecting occupied space, input/output transmission and torque performances, and multi-criteria constraints, such as dimension, interference and kinematics, are defined. In consideration of the passive exercise of plantar/dorsiflexion requiring large output moment, a torque index is proposed. To cope with the actuation redundancy of the parallel robot, a new output transmission index is defined as well. The multi-objective optimization problem is solved by using a modified Differential Evolution（DE） algorithm, which is characterized by new selection and mutation strategies. Meanwhile, a special penalty method is presented to tackle the multi-criteria constraints. Finally, numerical experiments for different optimization algorithms are implemented. The computation results show that the proposed indices of output transmission and torque, and constraint handling are effective for the redundant parallel robot; the modified DE algorithm is superior to the other tested algorithms, in terms of the ability of global search and the number of non-dominated solutions. The proposed methodology of multi-objective optimization can be also applied to the dimensional synthesis of other redundantly actuated parallel robots only with rotational movements.