Repairing the crossover rate in adaptive differential evolution

Differential evolution (DE) is a simple yet powerful evolutionary algorithm (EA) for global numerical optimization. However, its performance is significantly influenced by its parameters. Parameter adaptation has been proven to be an efficient way for the enhancement of the performance of the DE algorithm. Based on the analysis of the behavior of the crossover in DE, we find that the trial vector is directly related to its binary string, but not directly related to the crossover rate. Based on this inspiration, in this paper, we propose a crossover rate repair technique for the adaptive DE algorithms that are based on successful parameters. The crossover rate in DE is repaired by its corresponding binary string, i.e. by using the average number of components taken from the mutant. The average value of the binary string is used to replace the original crossover rate. To verify the effectiveness of the proposed technique, it is combined with an adaptive DE variant, JADE, which is a highly competitive DE variant. Experiments have been conducted on 25 functions presented in CEC-2005 competition. The results indicate that our proposed crossover rate technique is able to enhance the performance of JADE. In addition, compared with other DE variants and state-of-the-art EAs, the improved JADE method obtains better, or at least comparable, results in terms of the quality of final solutions and the convergence rate.     

A differential-based harmony search algorithm for the optimization of continuous problems

The performance of the Harmony Search (HS) algorithm is highly dependent on the parameter settings and the initialization of the Harmony Memory (HM). To address these issues, this paper presents a new variant of the HS algorithm, which is called the DH/best algorithm, for the optimization of globally continuous problems. The proposed DH/best algorithm introduces a new improvisation method that differs from the conventional HS in two respects. First, the random initialization of the HM is replaced with a new method that effectively initializes the harmonies and reduces randomness. Second, the conventional pitch adjustment method is replaced by a new pitch adjustment method that is inspired by a Differential Evolution (DE) mutation strategy known as DE/best/1. Two sets of experiments are performed to evaluate the proposed algorithm. In the first experiment, the DH/best algorithm is compared with other variants of HS based on 12 optimization functions. In the second experiment, the complete CEC2014 problem set is used to compare the performance of the DH/best algorithm with six well-known optimization algorithms from different families. The experimental results demonstrate the superiority of the proposed algorithm in convergence, precision, and robustness.     

The spherical search algorithm for bound-constrained global optimization problems

In this paper, a new optimization algorithm called Spherical Search (SS) is proposed to solve the bound-constrained non-linear global optimization problems. The main operations of SS are the calculation of spherical boundary and generation of new trial solution on the surface of the spherical boundary. These operations are mathematically modeled with some more basic level operators: Initialization of solution, greedy selection and parameter adaptation, and are employed on the 30 black-box bound constrained global optimization problems. This study also analyzes the applicability of the proposed algorithm on a set of real-life optimization problems. Meanwhile, to show the robustness and proficiency of SS, the obtained results of the proposed algorithm are compared with the results of other well-known optimization algorithms and their advanced variants: Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), Differential Evolution (DE), and Covariance Matrix Adapted Evolution Strategy (CMA-ES). The comparative analysis reveals that the performance of SS is quite competitive with respect to the other peer algorithms.     

Multi-population differential evolution with balanced ensemble of mutation strategies for large-scale global optimization

Differential evolution (DE) is a simple, yet very effective, population-based search technique. However, it is challenging to maintain a balance between exploration and exploitation behaviors of the DE algorithm. In this paper, we boost the population diversity while preserving simplicity by introducing a multi-population DE to solve large-scale global optimization problems. In the proposed algorithm, called mDE-bES, the population is divided into independent subgroups, each with different mutation and update strategies. A novel mutation strategy that uses information from either the best individual or a randomly selected one is used to produce quality solutions to balance exploration and exploitation. Selection of individuals for some of the tested mutation strategies utilizes fitness-based ranks of these individuals. Function evaluations are divided into epochs. At the end of each epoch, individuals between the subgroups are exchanged to facilitate information exchange at a slow pace. The performance of the algorithm is evaluated on a set of 19 large-scale continuous optimization problems. A comparative study is carried out with other state-of-the-art optimization techniques. The results show that mDE-bES has a competitive performance and scalability behavior compared to the contestant algorithms.     

Evaluating differential evolution with penalty function to solve constrained engineering problems

Over the years, several metaheuristics have been developed to solve hard constrained and unconstrained optimization problems. In general, a metaheuristic is proposed and following researches are made to improve the original algorithm. In this paper, we evaluate a not so new metaheuristic called differential evolution (DE) to solve constrained engineering design problems and compare the results with some recent metaheuristics. Results show that the classical DE with a very simple penalty function to handle constraints is still very competitive in the tested problems.     

An effective differential evolution with level comparison for constrained engineering design

Solving constrained engineering design problems via evolutionary algorithms has attracted increasing attention in the past decade. In this paper, a simple but effective differential evolution with level comparison (DELC) is proposed for constrained engineering design problems by applying the level comparison to convert the constrained optimization problem into an unconstrained one and using the differential evolution (DE) to perform a global search over the solution space. In addition, the mutation factor of DE is set to be a random number to enrich the search behavior, and the satisfaction level increases monotonously to gradually stress the feasibility. The comparison results between the DELC and five existing algorithms from the literature based on 13 widely used constrained benchmark functions show that the DELC is of better or competitive performance. Furthermore, the DELC is used to solve some typical engineering design problems. DELC is of superior searching quality on all the problems with fewer evaluation times than other algorithms. In addition, the effect of the increasing rate of satisfaction level on the performances of the DELC is investigated as well.     

Enhancing the search ability of differential evolution through orthogonal crossover

Differential evolution (DE) is a class of simple yet powerful evolutionary algorithms for global numerical optimization. Binomial crossover and exponential crossover are two commonly used crossover operators in current popular DE. It is noteworthy that these two operators can only generate a vertex of a hyper-rectangle defined by the mutant and target vectors. Therefore, the search ability of DE may be limited. Orthogonal crossover (OX) operators, which are based on orthogonal design, can make a systematic and rational search in a region defined by the parent solutions. In this paper, we have suggested a framework for using an OX in DE variants and proposed OXDE, a combination of DE/rand/1/bin and OX. Extensive experiments have been carried out to study OXDE and to demonstrate that our framework can also be used for improving the performance of other DE variants.     

An adaptive surrogate assisted differential evolutionary algorithm for high dimensional constrained problems

Differential evolution (DE) is a competitive algorithm for constrained optimization problems (COPs). In this study, in order to improve the efficiency and accuracy of the DE for high dimensional problems, an adaptive surrogate assisted DE algorithm, called ASA-DE is suggested. In the ASA, several kinds of surrogate modeling techniques are integrated. Furthermore, to avoid violate the constraints and obtain better solution simultaneously, adaptive strategies for population size and mutation are also suggested in this study. The suggested adaptive population strategy which controls the exploring and exploiting states according to whether algorithm find enough feasible solution is similar to a state switch. The mutation strategy is used to enhance the effect of state switch based on adaptive population size. Finally, the suggested ASA-DE is evaluated on the benchmark problems from congress on evolutionary computation (CEC) 2017 constrained real parameter optimization. The experimental results show the proposed algorithm is a competitive one compared to other state-of-the-art algorithms.     

一种改进的多目标约束优化差分进化算法

提出一种新的多目标优化差分进化算法用于求解约束优化问题.该算法利用佳点集方法初始化个体以维持种群的多样性.将约束优化问题转化为两个目标的多目标优化问题.基于Pareto支配关系,将种群分为Pareto子集和Non-Pareto子集,结合差分进化算法两种不同变异策略的特点,对Non-Pareto子集和Pareto子集分别采用DE/best/1变异策略和DE/rand/1变异策略.数值实验结果表明该算法具有较好的寻优效果.     

Multi-operator based evolutionary algorithms for solving constrained optimization problems

Over the last two decades, many sophisticated evolutionary algorithms have been introduced for solving constrained optimization problems. Due to the variability of characteristics in different COPs, no single algorithm performs consistently over a range of problems. In this paper, for a better coverage of the problem characteristics, we introduce an algorithm framework that uses multiple search operators in each generation. The appropriate mix of the search operators, for any given problem, is determined adaptively. The framework is tested by implementing two different algorithms. The performance of the algorithms is judged by solving 60 test instances taken from two constrained optimization benchmark sets from specialized literature. The first algorithm, which is a multi-operator based genetic algorithm (GA), shows a significant improvement over different versions of GA (each with a single one of these operators). The second algorithm, using differential evolution (DE), also confirms the benefit of the multi-operator algorithm by providing better and consistent solutions. The overall results demonstrated that both GA and DE based algorithms show competitive, if not better, performance as compared to the state of the art algorithms.     

An evolving surrogate model-based differential evolution algorithm

Differential evolution (DE) is a simple and effective approach for solving numerical optimization problems. However, the performance of DE is sensitive to the choice of mutation and crossover strategies and their associated control parameters. Therefore, to achieve optimal performance, a time-consuming parameter tuning process is required. In DE, the use of different mutation and crossover strategies with different parameter settings can be appropriate during different stages of the evolution. Therefore, to achieve optimal performance using DE, various adaptation, self-adaptation, and ensemble techniques have been proposed. Recently, a classification-assisted DE algorithm was proposed to overcome trial and error parameter tuning and efficiently solve computationally expensive problems. In this paper, we present an evolving surrogate model-based differential evolution (ESMDE) method, wherein a surrogate model constructed based on the population members of the current generation is used to assist the DE algorithm in order to generate competitive offspring using the appropriate parameter setting during different stages of the evolution. As the population evolves over generations, the surrogate model also evolves over the iterations and better represents the basin of search by the DE algorithm. The proposed method employs a simple Kriging model to construct the surrogate. The performance of ESMDE is evaluated on a set of 17 bound-constrained problems. The performance of the proposed algorithm is compared to state-of-the-art self-adaptive DE algorithms: the classification-assisted DE algorithm, regression-assisted DE algorithm, and ranking-assisted DE algorithm.     

An improved dynamic membrane evolutionary algorithm for constrained engineering design problems

Constrained global optimization is a highly important and challenging task in the field of optimization, and is embedded in many science and engineering optimizations. In this paper, an improved dynamic membrane evolutionary algorithm based on particle swarm optimization and differential evolution (IDMEA-PSO/DE) is proposed to solve constrained engineering design problems. The method combines the dynamic membrane structure of P systems and the PSO/DE search strategy. The performance of IDMEA-PSO/DE is tested on several well-known engineering design problems. The results of the simulation experiments show that the proposed algorithm is effective and outperforms other state-of-the-art-algorithms.     

Constrained differential evolution with multiobjective sorting mutation operators for constrained optimization

Differential evolution (DE) is a simple and powerful evolutionary algorithm for global optimization. DE with constraint handling techniques, named constrained differential evolution (CDE), can be used to solve constrained optimization problems (COPs). In existing CDEs, the parents are randomly selected from the current population to produce trial vectors. However, individuals with fitness and diversity information should have more chances to be selected. This study proposes a new CDE framework that uses nondominated sorting mutation operator based on fitness and diversity information, named MS-CDE. In MS-CDE, firstly, the fitness of each individual in the population is calculated according to the current population situation. Secondly, individuals in the current population are ranked according to their fitness and diversity contribution. Lastly, parents in the mutation operators are selected in proportion to their rankings based on fitness and diversity. Thus, promising individuals with better fitness and diversity are more likely to be selected as parents. The MS-CDE framework can be applied to most CDE variants. In this study, the framework is applied to two popular representative CDE variants, (μ + λ)-CDE and ECHT-DE. Experiment results on 24 benchmark functions from CEC’2006 and 18 benchmark functions from CEC’2010 show that the proposed framework is an effective approach to enhance the performance of CDE algorithms.     

基于最优高斯随机游走和个体筛选策略的差分进化算法

针对差分进化算法开发能力较差的问题, 提出一种具有快速收敛的新型差分进化算法. 首先, 利用最优高斯随机游走策略提高算法的开发能力; 然后, 采用基于个体优化性能的简化交叉变异策略实现种群的进化操作以加强其局部搜索能力; 最后, 通过个体筛选策略进一步提高算法的探索能力以避免陷入局部最优. 12 个标准测试函 数和两种带约束的工程优化问题的实验结果表明, 所提出的算法在收敛速度、算法可靠性及收敛精度方面均优于EPSDE、SaDE、JADE、BSA、CoBiDE、GSA和ABC等算法, 在加强算法探索能力的同时能够有效地提高算法的开发能力.

     

Adaptive strategy selection in differential evolution for numerical optimization: An empirical study

Differential evolution (DE) is a versatile and efficient evolutionary algorithm for global numerical optimization, which has been widely used in different application fields. However, different strategies have been proposed for the generation of new solutions, and the selection of which of them should be applied is critical for the DE performance, besides being problem-dependent. In this paper, we present two DE variants with adaptive strategy selection: two different techniques, namely Probability Matching and Adaptive Pursuit, are employed in DE to autonomously select the most suitable strategy while solving the problem, according to their recent impact on the optimization process. For the measurement of this impact, four credit assignment methods are assessed, which update the known performance of each strategy in different ways, based on the relative fitness improvement achieved by its recent applications. The performance of the analyzed approaches is evaluated on 22 benchmark functions. Experimental results confirm that they are able to adaptively choose the most suitable strategy for a specific problem in an efficient way. Compared with other state-of-the-art DE variants, better results are obtained on most of the functions in terms of quality of the final solutions and convergence speed.     

A hybrid differential evolution augmented Lagrangian method for constrained numerical and engineering optimization

We present a new hybrid method for solving constrained numerical and engineering optimization problems in this paper. The proposed hybrid method takes advantage of the differential evolution (DE) ability to find global optimum in problems with complex design spaces while directly enforcing feasibility of constraints using a modified augmented Lagrangian multiplier method. The basic steps of the proposed method are comprised of an outer iteration, in which the Lagrangian multipliers and various penalty parameters are updated using a first-order update scheme, and an inner iteration, in which a nonlinear optimization of the modified augmented Lagrangian function with simple bound constraints is implemented by a modified differential evolution algorithm. Experimental results based on several well-known constrained numerical and engineering optimization problems demonstrate that the proposed method shows better performance in comparison to the state-of-the-art algorithms.     

A novel differential evolution algorithm for solving constrained engineering optimization problems

This paper introduces a novel differential evolution (DE) algorithm for solving constrained engineering optimization problems called (NDE). The key idea of the proposed NDE is the use of new triangular mutation rule. It is based on the convex combination vector of the triplet defined by the three randomly chosen vectors and the difference vectors between the best, better and the worst individuals among the three randomly selected vectors. The main purpose of the new approach to triangular mutation operator is the search for better balance between the global exploration ability and the local exploitation tendency as well as enhancing the convergence rate of the algorithm through the optimization process. In order to evaluate and analyze the performance of NDE, numerical experiments on three sets of test problems with different features, including a comparison with thirty state-of-the-art evolutionary algorithms, are executed where 24 well-known benchmark test functions presented in CEC’2006, five widely used constrained engineering design problems and five constrained mechanical design problems from the literature are utilized. The results show that the proposed algorithm is competitive with, and in some cases superior to, the compared ones in terms of the quality, efficiency and robustness of the obtained final solutions.     

Topology optimization of structures using modified binary differential evolution

Differential evolution (DE) is an efficient population based algorithm used to solve real-valued optimization problems. It has the advantage of incorporating relatively simple and efficient mutation and crossover operators. However, the DE operator is based on floating-point representation only, and is difficult to use when solving combinatorial optimization problems. In this paper, a modified binary differential evolution (MBDE) based on a binary bit-string framework with a simple and new binary mutation mechanism is proposed. Two test functions are applied to verify the MBDE framework with the new binary mutation mechanism, and four structural topology optimization problems are used to study the performance of the proposed MBDE algorithm. The experimental studies show that the proposed MBDE algorithm is not only suitable for structural topology optimization, but also has high viability in terms of solving numerical optimization problems.     

A hybrid approach based on differential evolution and tissue membrane systems for solving constrained manufacturing parameter optimization problems

This paper presents a hybrid approach based on appropriately combining Differential Evolution algorithms and Tissue P Systems (DETPS for short), used for solving a class of constrained manufacturing parameter optimization problems. DETPS uses a network membrane structure, evolution and communication rules like in a tissue P system to specify five widely used DE variants respectively put inside five cells of the tissue membrane system. Each DE variant independently evolves in a cell according to its own evolutionary mechanism and its parameters are dynamically adjusted in the process of evolution. DETPS applies the channels connecting the five cells of the tissue membrane system to implement communication in the process of evolution. Twenty-one benchmark problems taken from the specialized literature related to constrained manufacturing parameter optimization are used to test the DETPS performance. Experimental results show that DETPS is superior or competitive to twenty-two optimization algorithms recently reported in the literature.     

Design of hybrid differential evolution and group method of data handling networks for modeling and prediction

This paper proposes a hybrid modeling approach based on two familiar non-linear methods of mathematical modeling; the group method of data handling (GMDH) and differential evolution (DE) population-based algorithm. The proposed method constructs a GMDH self-organizing network model of a population of promising DE solutions. The new hybrid implementation is then applied to modeling tool wear in milling operations and also applied to two representative time series prediction problems of exchange rates of three international currencies and the well-studied Box-Jenkins gas furnace process data. The results of the proposed DE–GMDH approach are compared with the results obtained by the standard GMDH algorithm and its variants. Results presented show that the proposed DE–GMDH algorithm appears to perform better than the standard GMDH algorithm and the polynomial neural network (PNN) model for the tool wear problem. For the exchange rate problem, the results of the proposed DE–GMDH algorithm are competitive with all other approaches except in one case. For the Box-Jenkins gas furnace data, the experimental results clearly demonstrates that the proposed DE–GMDH-type network outperforms the existing models both in terms of better approximation capabilities as well as generalization abilities. Consequently, this self-organizing modeling approach may be useful in modeling advanced manufacturing systems where it is necessary to model tool wear during machining operations, and in time series applications such as in prediction of time series exchange rate and industrial gas furnace problems.