A study of interval metric and its application in multi-objective optimization with interval objectives

The aim of this paper is to discuss the optimality of interval multi-objective optimization problems with the help of different interval metric. For this purpose, we have proposed the new definitions of interval order relations by modifying the existing definitions and also modified different definitions of interval mathematics. Using the definitions of interval order relations and interval metric, the multi-objective optimization problem is converted into single objective optimization problem by different techniques. Then the corresponding problems have been solved by hybrid Tournament Genetic Algorithm with whole arithmetic crossover and double mutation (combination of non-uniform and boundary mutations). To illustrate the methodology, five numerical examples have been solved and the computational results have been compared. Finally, to test the efficiency of the proposed hybrid Tournament Genetic Algorithm, sensitivity analyses have been carried out graphically with respect to genetic algorithm parameters.     

不确定可靠性优化问题的多目标粒子群优化算法

针对元件可靠性为区间值的系统可靠性优化问题, 提出一种区间多目标粒子群优化方法. 首先, 建立问题的区间多目标优化模型; 然后, 利用粒子群算法优化该模型, 定义一种不精确Pareto 支配关系, 并给出编码、约束处理、外部存储器更新、领导粒子选择等关键问题的解决方法; 最后, 将该方法应用于可靠性优化问题实例, 验证了方法的有效性.

     

Fuzzy global optimization of complex system reliability

The problem of optimizing the reliability of complex systems has been modeled as a fuzzy multi-objective optimization problem. Three different kinds of optimization problems: reliability optimization of a complex system with constraints on cost and weight; optimal redundancy allocation in a multistage mixed system with constraints on cost and weight; and optimal reliability allocation in a multistage mixed system with constraints on cost, weight, and volume have been solved. Four numerical examples have been solved to demonstrate the effectiveness of the present methodology. The influence of various kinds of aggregators is also studied. The inefficiency of the noncompensatory min operator has been demonstrated. One of the well-known global optimization meta-heuristics, the threshold accepting, has been invoked to take care of the optimization part of the model. A software has been developed to implement the above model. The results obtained are encouraging     

Intuitionistic fuzzy optimization technique for solving multi-objective reliability optimization problems in interval environment

In designing phase of systems, design parameters such as component reliabilities and cost are normally under uncertainties. This paper presents a methodology for solving the multi-objective reliability optimization model in which parameters are considered as imprecise in terms of triangular interval data. The uncertain multi-objective optimization model is converted into deterministic multi-objective model including left, center and right interval functions. A conflicting nature between the objectives is resolved with the help of intuitionistic fuzzy programming technique by considering linear as well as the nonlinear degree of membership and non-membership functions. The resultants max–min problem has been solved with particle swarm optimization (PSO) and compared their results with genetic algorithm (GA). Finally, a numerical instance is presented to show the performance of the proposed approach.     

A partially integrated production-inventory model with interval valued inventory costs,variable demand and flexible reliability

This paper formulates a production-inventory model to investigate the effects of partially integrated production and marketing policy of a manufacturing firm. Demand is assumed to be variable and dependent on the selling price and marketing cost. Also, different inventory costs are considered as interval valued. Shortages are permitted and partially backlogged with a rate dependent on the waiting time. Considering that manufacturing process generates defective units four possible cases have been identified and studied. Basically, the optimization problems (maximization problem for Marketing department and minimization problems for Production and Research & Development departments) have been formulated and solved. For solving these optimization problems, an efficient soft computing algorithm based on Particle Swarm Optimization-Constriction factor (PSO-CO) is proposed. In order to illustrate and validate the production-inventory model a numerical example is solved. Finally, a sensitivity analysis is done to study the effect of changes of different system parameters on optimal policies.     

Multi-objective reliability-redundancy allocation problem using particle swarm optimization

This paper considers the multi-objective reliability redundancy allocation problem of a series system where the reliability of the system and the corresponding designing cost are considered as two different objectives. Due to non-stochastic uncertain and conflicting factors it is difficult to reduce the cost of the system and improve the reliability of the system simultaneously. In such situations, the decision making is difficult, and the presence of multi-objectives gives rise to multi-objective optimization problem (MOOP), which leads to Pareto optimal solutions instead of a single optimal solution. However in order to make the model more flexible and adaptable to human decision process, the optimization model can be expressed as fuzzy nonlinear programming problems with fuzzy numbers. Thus in a fuzzy environment, a fuzzy multi-objective optimization problem (FMOOP) is formulated from the original crisp optimization problem. In order to solve the resultant problem, a crisp optimization problem is reformulated from FMOOP by taking into account the preference of decision maker regarding cost and reliability goals and then particle swarm optimization is applied to solve the resulting fuzzified MOOP under a number of constraints. The approach has been demonstrated through the case study of a pharmaceutical plant situated in the northern part of India.     

Generation maintenance scheduling based on multiple objectives and their relationship analysis

In a market environment of power systems, each producer pursues its maximal profit while the independent system operator is in charge of the system reliability and the minimization of the total generation cost when generating the generation maintenance scheduling （GMS）. Thus, the GMS is inherently a multi-objective optimization problem as its objectives usually conflict with each other. This paper proposes a multi-objective GMS model in a market environment which includes three types of objectives, i.e., each producer＇s profit, the system reliability, and the total generation cost. The GMS model has been solved by the group search optimizer with multiple producers （GSOMP） on two test systems. The simulation results show that the model is well solved by the GSOMP with a set of evenly distributed Pareto-optimal solutions obtained. The simulation results also illustrate that one producer＇s profit conflicts with another one＇s, that the total generation cost does not conflict with the profit of the producer possessing the cheapest units while the total generation cost conflicts with the other producers＇ profits, and that the reliability objective conflicts with the other objectives.     

DEMORS: A hybrid multi-objective optimization algorithm using differential evolution and rough set theory for constrained problems

The aim of this paper is to show how the hybridization of a multi-objective evolutionary algorithm (MOEA) and a local search method based on the use of rough set theory is a viable alternative to obtain a robust algorithm able to solve difficult constrained multi-objective optimization problems at a moderate computational cost. This paper extends a previously published MOEA [Hernández-Díaz AG, Santana-Quintero LV, Coello Coello C, Caballero R, Molina J. A new proposal for multi-objective optimization using differential evolution and rough set theory. In: 2006 genetic and evolutionary computation conference (GECCO’2006). Seattle, Washington, USA: ACM Press; July 2006], which was limited to unconstrained multi-objective optimization problems. Here, the main idea is to use this sort of hybrid approach to approximate the Pareto front of a constrained multi-objective optimization problem while performing a relatively low number of fitness function evaluations. Since in real-world problems the cost of evaluating the objective functions is the most significant, our underlying assumption is that, by aiming to minimize the number of such evaluations, our MOEA can be considered efficient. As in its previous version, our hybrid approach operates in two stages: in the first one, a multi-objective version of differential evolution is used to generate an initial approximation of the Pareto front. Then, in the second stage, rough set theory is used to improve the spread and quality of this initial approximation. To assess the performance of our proposed approach, we adopt, on the one hand, a set of standard bi-objective constrained test problems and, on the other hand, a large real-world problem with eight objective functions and 160 decision variables. The first set of problems are solved performing 10,000 fitness function evaluations, which is a competitive value compared to the number of evaluations previously reported in the specialized literature for such problems. The real-world problem is solved performing 250,000 fitness function evaluations, mainly because of its high dimensionality. Our results are compared with respect to those generated by NSGA-II, which is a MOEA representative of the state-of-the-art in the area.     

进化高维多目标优化研究进展

高维多目标优化问题是目标个数多于3的多目标优化问题.尽管进化优化方法在多目标优化问题求解中显示了卓越的性能,但是,对于高维多目标优化问题,已有方法存在目标维数难以扩展、Pareto占优关系无法区分进化个体,以及多样性维护策略失效等困难.因此,高维多目标优化问题的高效求解引起进化优化界的高度关注.本文将分别从新型占优关系、多样性维护策略、目标缩减、目标聚合、基于性能指标的选择、融入偏好、集合进化、变化算子、可视化技术,以及应用等10个方面分类总结近年来进化高维多目标优化的研究成果,通过分析已有研究存在的问题,指出今后可能的研究方向.     

Reliability evaluation and optimal design in heterogeneous multi-state series-parallel systems

This paper addresses the heterogeneous redundancy allocation problem in multi-state series-parallel reliability structures with the objective to minimize the total cost of system design satisfying the given reliability constraint and the consumer load demand. The demand distribution is presented as a piecewise cumulative load curve and each subsystem is allowed to consist of parallel redundant components of not more than three types. The system uses binary capacitated components chosen from a list of available products to provide redundancy so as to increase system performance and reliability. The components are characterized by their feeding capacity, reliability and cost. A system that consists of elements with different reliability and productivity parameters has the capacity strongly dependent upon the selection of constituent components. A binomial probability based method to compute exact system reliability index is suggested. To analyze the problem and suggest an optimal/near-optimal system structure, an ant colony optimization algorithm has been presented. The solution approach consists of a series of simple steps as used in early ant colony optimization algorithms dealing with other optimization problems and offers straightforward analysis. Four multi-state system design problems have been solved for illustration. Two problems are taken from the literature and solved to compare the algorithm with the other existing methods. The other two problems are based upon randomly generated data. The results show that the method can be appealing to many researchers with regard to the time efficiency and yet without compromising over the solution quality.     

Multi-objective reliability optimization for dissimilar-unit cold-standby systems using a genetic algorithm

A genetic algorithm approach is used to solve a multi-objective discrete reliability optimization problem in a k dissimilar-unit non-repairable cold-standby redundant system. Each unit is composed of a number of independent components with generalized Erlang distributions arranged in a series–parallel configuration. There are multiple component choices with different distribution parameters available for being replaced with each component of the system. The objective of the reliability optimization problem is to select the best components, from the set of available components, to be placed in the standby system in order to minimize the initial purchase cost of the system, maximize the system MTTF (mean time to failure), minimize the system VTTF (variance of time to failure) and also maximize the system reliability at the mission time. Finally, we apply a genetic algorithm with double strings using continuous relaxation based on reference solution updating (GADSCRRSU) to solve this multi-objective problem, using goal attainment formulation. The results are also compared against the results of a discrete-time approximation technique to show the efficiency of the proposed GA approach.     

A single front genetic algorithm for parallel multi-objective optimization in dynamic environments

This paper proposes a new parallel evolutionary procedure to solve multi-objective dynamic optimization problems along with some measures to evaluate multi-objective optimization in dynamic environments. These dynamic optimization problems appear in quite different real-world applications with actual socio-economic relevance. In these applications, the objective functions, the constraints, and hence, also the solutions, can change over time and usually demand to be solved online whilst the size of the changes is unknown. Although parallel processing could be very useful in these problems to meet the solution quality requirements and constraints, to date, not many parallel approaches have been reported in the literature. Taking this into account, we introduce a multi-objective optimization procedure for dynamic problems that are based on PSFGA, a parallel evolutionary algorithm previously proposed by us for multi-objective optimization. It uses an island model where a process divides the population among the remaining processes and allows the communication and coordination among the subpopulations in the different islands. The proposed algorithm makes an exclusive use of non-dominating individuals for the selection and variation operator and applies a crowding mechanism to maintain the diversity and the distribution of the solutions in the Pareto front. We also propose a model to understand the benefits of parallel processing in multi-objective problems and the speedup figures obtained in our experiments.     

一种全终端网络可靠性多目标优化模型及求解

分析了全终端网络可靠性设计问题,针对单目标优化存在的不足,建立了一种更加贴近工程实际的极大化可靠度,同时极小化投资成本的多目标优化模型,并利用模拟退火算法对其进行了优化求解。计算机仿真实例表明:模拟退火算法在求解此问题时,无论是在Pareto解的数量上还是在Pareto解的范围上都能得到较好的优化效果。     

应急物流车辆调度多目标鲁棒优化研究

针对应急物流车辆调度问题中对于经济性、时效性、可靠性和鲁棒性的多种要求，考虑了含有时间窗、不确定需求、不确定行驶时间，以及路段含有失效风险的多目标鲁棒车辆路径优化问题，通过定义新的成本函数、满意度函数、风险度函数和鲁棒度函数作为四个优化目标来构建模型，并基于鲁棒优化理论将不确定模型转化为确定性鲁棒对应模型求解，为解决不确定环境下优化问题提供了新的思路。算法方面，主要基于SPEA2算法框架求解该多目标模型，针对算法缺陷提出多种改进策略，并通过对比实验证明了改进策略的有效性。     

Multi-objective based on parallel vector evaluated particle swarm optimization for optimal steady-state performance of power systems

In this paper the state-of-the-art extended particle swarm optimization (PSO) methods for solving multi-objective optimization problems are represented. We emphasize in those, the co-evolution technique of the parallel vector evaluated PSO (VEPSO), analysed and applied in a multi-objective problem of steady-state of power systems. Specifically, reactive power control is formulated as a multi-objective optimization problem and solved using the parallel VEPSO algorithm. The results on the IEEE 30-bus test system are compared with those given by another multi-objective evolutionary technique demonstrating the advantage of parallel VEPSO. The parallel VEPSO is also tested on a larger power system this with 136 busses.     

Bi-objective optimization of the reliability-redundancy allocation problem for series-parallel system

The main objective of this paper is to solve the bi-objective reliability redundancy allocation problem for series-parallel system where reliability of the system and the corresponding designing cost are considered as two different objectives. In their formulation, reliability of each component is considered as a triangular fuzzy number. In order to solve the problem, developed fuzzy model is converted to a crisp model by using expected values of fuzzy numbers and taking into account the preference of decision maker regarding cost and reliability goals. Finally the obtained crisp optimization problem has been solved with particle swarm optimization (PSO) and compared their results with genetic algorithm (GA). Examples are shown to illustrate the method. Finally statistical simulation has been performed for supremacy the approach.     

Simultaneously solving the transfer line balancing and buffer allocation problems with a multi-objective approach

Two of the most researched problems on transfer line, transfer line balancing problem (TLBP) and buffer allocation problem (BAP), are usually solved separately, although they are closely interrelated. When machine tools have different reliability, the traditional balancing approaches lead to a deviation of the production rate from the actual throughput, which is used as the objective of the following optimization on BAP. This may not only reduce the solution space of BAP, but also bring about a biased overall result.In this paper, the simultaneous solution of these two problems is presented, which includes transfer line balancing problem, BAP, and selection of line configuration, machine tools and fixtures. Production rate computed through simulation software and total cost considering machine tools and buffer capacities are used as two objective functions. The problem is solved applying a multi-objective optimization approach. Two well-known evolutionary algorithms are considered: Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm-II (NSGA-II) and Multi-Objective Particle Swarm Optimization (MOPSO). A real case study related to automotive sector is used to demonstrate the validity of the proposed approach.     

New Approximation Assisted Multi-objective collaborative Robust Optimization (new AA-McRO) under interval uncertainty

Existing collaborative optimization techniques with multiple coupled subsystems are predominantly focused on single-objective deterministic optimization. However, many engineering optimization problems have system and subsystems that can each be multi-objective, constrained and with uncertainty. The literature reports on a few deterministic Multi-objective Multi-Disciplinary Optimization (MMDO) techniques. However, these techniques in general require a large number of function calls and their computational cost can be exacerbated when uncertainty is present. In this paper, a new Approximation-Assisted Multi-objective collaborative Robust Optimization (New AA-McRO) under interval uncertainty is presented. This new AA-McRO approach uses a single-objective optimization problem to coordinate all system and subsystem multi-objective optimization problems in a Collaborative Optimization (CO) framework. The approach converts the consistency constraints of CO into penalty terms which are integrated into the system and subsystem objective functions. The new AA-McRO is able to explore the design space better and obtain optimum design solutions more efficiently. Also, the new AA-McRO obtains an estimate of Pareto optimum solutions for MMDO problems whose system-level objective and constraint functions are relatively insensitive (or robust) to input uncertainties. Another characteristic of the new AA-McRO is the use of online approximation for objective and constraint functions to perform system robustness evaluation and subsystem-level optimization. Based on the results obtained from a numerical and an engineering example, it is concluded that the new AA-McRO performs better than previously reported MMDO methods.     

Multi-objective list scheduling of workflow applications in distributed computing infrastructures

Executing large-scale applications in distributed computing infrastructures (DCI), for example modern Cloud environments, involves optimization of several conflicting objectives such as makespan, reliability, energy, or economic cost. Despite this trend, scheduling in heterogeneous DCIs has been traditionally approached as a single or bi-criteria optimization problem. In this paper, we propose a generic multi-objective optimization framework supported by a list scheduling heuristic for scientific workflows in heterogeneous DCIs. The algorithm approximates the optimal solution by considering user-specified constraints on objectives in a dual strategy: maximizing the distance to the user’s constraints for dominant solutions and minimizing it otherwise. We instantiate the framework and algorithm for a four-objective case study comprising makespan, economic cost, energy consumption, and reliability as optimization goals. We implemented our method as part of the ASKALON environment (Fahringer et al., 2007) for Grid and Cloud computing and demonstrate through extensive real and synthetic simulation experiments that our algorithm outperforms related bi-criteria heuristics while meeting the user constraints most of the time.     

The Endocrine Control Evolutionary Algorithm: an extensible technique for optimization

This paper proposes an optimization technique inspired by the endocrine system, in particular by the intrinsic mechanism of hormonal regulation. The approach is applicable for many optimization problems, such as multimodal optimization in a static environment, multimodal optimization in a dynamic environment and multi-objective optimization. The advantage of this technique is that it is intuitive and there is no need for a supplementary mechanism to deal with dynamic environments, nor for major revisions in a multi-objective context. The Endocrine Control Evolutionary Algorithm (ECEA) is described. The ECEA is able to estimate and track the multiple optima in a dynamic environment. For multi-objective optimization problems, the issue of finding a good definition of optimality is solved naturally without using Pareto non-dominated in performance evaluation. Instead, the overall preference of the solution is used for fitness assignment. Without any adjustments, just by using a suitable fitness assignment, the ECEA algorithm performs well for the multi-objective optimization problems.