Optimizing a bi-objective multi-product EPQ model with defective items,rework and limited orders: NSGA-II and MOPSO algorithms

In this paper, a bi-objective multi-products economic production quantity (EPQ) model is developed, in which the number of orders is limited and imperfect items that are re-workable are produced. The objectives of the problem are minimization of the total inventory costs as well as minimizing the required warehouse space. The model is shown to be of a bi-objective nonlinear programming type, and in order to solve it two meta-heuristic algorithms namely, the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-II) and multi-objective particle swarm optimization (MOPSO) algorithm, are proposed. To verify the solution obtained and to evaluate the performance of proposed algorithms, two-sample t-tests are employed to compare the means of the first objective value, the means of the second objective values, and the mean required CPU time of solving the problem using two algorithms. The results show while both algorithms are efficient to solve the model and the solution qualities of the two algorithms do not differ significantly, the computational CPU time of MOPSO is considerably lower than that of NSGA-II.     

A novel multi-objective meta-heuristic model for solving cross-docking scheduling problems

Cross-docking is a material handling and distribution technique in which products are transferred directly from the receiving dock to the shipping dock, reducing the need for a warehouse or distribution center. This process minimizes the storage and order-picking functions in a warehouse. In this paper, we consider cross-docking in a supply chain and propose a multi-objective mathematical model for minimizing the make-span, transportation cost and the number of truck trips in the supply chain. The proposed model allows a truck to travel from a supplier to the cross-dock facility and from the supplier directly to the customers. We propose two meta-heuristic algorithms, the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-II) and the multi-objective particle swarm optimization (MOPSO), to solve the multi-objective mathematical model. We demonstrate the applicability of the proposed method and exhibit the efficacy of the procedure with a numerical example. The numerical results show the relative superiority of the NSGA-II method over the MOPSO method.     

数据库中的模糊逻辑规则发现

关联规则是数据库中的知识发现（KDD）领域的重要研究课题。模糊关联规则可以用自然语言来表达人类知识,近年来受到KDD研究人员的普遍关注。但是,目前大多数模糊关联规则发现方法仍然沿用经典关联规则发现中常用的支持度和置信度测度。事实上,模糊关联规则可以有不同的解释,而且不同的解释对规则发现方法有很大影响。从逻辑的观点出发,定义了模糊逻辑规则、支持度、蕴含度及其相关概念,提出了模糊逻辑规则发现算法,该算法结合了模糊逻辑概念和Apriori算法,从给定的定量数据库中发现模糊逻辑规则。     

Solving a bi-objective unrelated parallel batch processing machines scheduling problem: A comparison study

Nowadays in competitive markets, production organizations are looking to increase their efficiency and optimize manufacturing operations. In addition, batch processor machines (BPMs) are faster and cheaper to carry out operations; thus the performance of manufacturing systems is increased. This paper studies a production scheduling problem on unrelated parallel BPMs with considering the release time and ready time for jobs as well as batch capacity constraints. In unrelated parallel BPMs, modern machines are used in a production line side by side with older machines that have different purchasing costs; so this factor is introduced as a novel objective to calculate the optimum cost for purchasing various machines due to the budget. Thus, a new bi-objective mathematical model is presented to minimize the makespan (i.e., C_max), tardiness/earliness penalties and the purchasing cost of machines simultaneously. The presented model is first coded and solved by the ε-constraint‌ method. Because of the complexity of the NP-hard problem, exact methods are not able to optimally solve large-sized problems in a reasonable time. Therefore, we propose a multi-objective harmony search (MOHS) algorithm. the results are compared with the multi-objective particle swarm optimization (MOPSO), non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-II), and multi-objective ant colony optimization algorithm (MOACO). To tune their parameters, the Taguchi method is used. The results are compared by five metrics that show the effectiveness of the proposed MOHS algorithm compared with the MOPSO, NSGA-II and MOACO. At last, the sensitivity of the model is analyzed on new parameters and impacts of each parameter are illustrated on bi- objective functions.     

Simultaneous optimal selection of design and manufacturing tolerances with alternative manufacturing process selection

Tolerance specification is an important part of mechanical design. Design tolerances strongly influence the functional performance and manufacturing cost of a mechanical product. Tighter tolerances normally produce superior components, better performing mechanical systems and good assemblability with assured exchangeability at the assembly line. However, unnecessarily tight tolerances lead to excessive manufacturing costs for a given application. The balancing of performance and manufacturing cost through identification of optimal design tolerances is a major concern in modern design. Traditionally, design tolerances are specified based on the designer’s experience. Computer-aided (or software-based) tolerance synthesis and alternative manufacturing process selection programs allow a designer to verify the relations between all design tolerances to produce a consistent and feasible design. In this paper, a general new methodology using intelligent algorithms viz., Elitist Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm (NSGA-II) and Multi Objective Particle Swarm Optimization (MOPSO) for simultaneous optimal selection of design and manufacturing tolerances with alternative manufacturing process selection is presented. The problem has a multi-criterion character in which 3 objective functions, 3 constraints and 5 variables are considered. The average fitness factor method and normalized weighted objective functions method are separately used to select the best optimal solution from Pareto optimal fronts. Two multi-objective performance measures namely solution spread measure and ratio of non-dominated individuals are used to evaluate the strength of Pareto optimal fronts. Two more multi-objective performance measures namely optimiser overhead and algorithm effort are used to find the computational effort of NSGA-II and MOPSO algorithms. The Pareto optimal fronts and results obtained from various techniques are compared and analysed.     

Multi-objective framework for cost-effective OTN switch placement using NSGA-II with embedded domain knowledge

The continuous growth of traffic coming from a plethora of bandwidth-hungry applications will drive network operators to further pursue strategies to cost-efficiently plan and dimension their transport networks. In view of this trend, this paper presents an evolutionary multi-objective design framework for routing a set of services in an optical transport network such that the key resources impacting capital expenditures (CapEx) – line interfaces and optical transport network (OTN) switches – are minimized. Particularly, the multi-objective problem is customized to select the most cost-effective network nodes to place OTN switches, while at the same time keeping the number of line interfaces required to a minimum. To solve the multi-objective design problem, different strategies were considered to produce the Pareto front of non-dominated solutions, using the Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm (NSGA-II). These strategies differ on how mutation and crossover solutions are generated: randomly or exploiting prior knowledge. The solution quality obtained with both strategies after a fixed number of generations is compared. The results indicate that embedding expert knowledge within the genetic algorithm leads to better convergence results. Moreover, the knowledge-based implementation of the genetic algorithm presents on average a 59% increase in the hyper volume rate when compared to the purely random evolutionary algorithm for the same number of generations.     

Harmony search-based multi-objective optimization model for multi-site order planning with multiple uncertainties and learning effects

This paper addresses a multi-objective multi-site order planning problem in make-to-order manufacturing with the consideration of various real-world features such as production uncertainties and learning effects. A novel harmony search-based multi-objective optimization model, mainly integrating a harmony search based Pareto optimization (HSPO) process and a Monte Carlo simulation process, is developed to tackle this problem. A series of experiments are conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed model based on real industrial data. Results demonstrate that (1) the proposed model can effectively solve the problem investigated; and (2) the HSPO process can generate the optimization performance superior to those generated by a multi-objective genetic algorithm (NSGA-II)-based process and an industrial method.     

A New Multi-objective Competitive Open Vehicle Routing Problem Solved by Particle Swarm Optimization

This paper presents a new variant of an open vehicle routing problem (OVRP), in which competition exists between distributors. In the OVRP with competitive time windows (OVRPCTW), the reaching time to customers affects the sales amount. Therefore, distributors intend to service customers earlier than rivals, to obtain the maximum sales. Moreover, a part of a driver??s benefit is related to the amount of sales; thus, the balance of goods carried in each vehicle is important in view of the limited vehicle capacities. In this paper, a new, multi-objective mathematical model of the homogeneous and competitive OVRP is presented, to minimize the travel cost of routes and to maximize the obtained sales while concurrently balancing the goods distributed among vehicles. This model is solved by the use of a multi-objective particle swarm optimization (MOPSO) algorithm, and the related results are compared with the results of NSGA-II, which is a well-known multi-objective evolutionary algorithm. A comparison of our results with three performance metrics confirms that the proposed MOPSO is an efficient algorithm for solving the competitive OVRP with a reasonable computational time and cost.     

Multi-mode resource constrained project scheduling and contractor selection: Mathematical formulation and metaheuristic algorithms

Contractor selection is a matter of particular attraction for project managers whose aim is to complete projects considering time, cost and quality issues. Traditionally, project scheduling and contractor selection decisions are made separately and sequentially. However, it is usually necessary to satisfy some principles and obligations that impose hard constraints to the problem under consideration. Ignoring this important issue and making project scheduling and contractor selection decisions consecutively may be suboptimal to a holistic view that makes all interrelated decisions in an integrated manner. In this paper, an integrated bi-objective optimization model is proposed to deal with Multi-mode Resource Constrained Project Scheduling Problem (MRCPSP) and Contractor Selection (CS) problem, simultaneously. The objective of the proposed model is to minimize the total costs of the project, and minimize the makespan of the project, simultaneously. To solve the integrated MRCPSP-CS, two multi-objective meta-heuristic algorithms, Non-Dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm (NSGA-II) and Multi-Objective Particle Swarm Optimization algorithm (MOPSO), are adopted, and 30 test problems of different sizes are solved. The parameter tuning is performed using the Taguchi method. Then, diversification metric (DM), mean ideal distance (MID), quality metric (QM) and number of Pareto solutions (NPS) are used to quantify the performance of meta-heuristic algorithms. Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), as a prominent multi-attribute decision-making method, is used to determine the relative importance of performance metrics. Computational results show the superior performance of MOPSO compared to NSGA-II for small-, medium- and large-sized test problems. Moreover, a sensitivity analysis shows that by increasing the number of available contractors, not only the makespan of the project is shortened, but also, the value of NPS in the Pareto front increases, which means that the decision maker(s) can make a wider variety of decisions in a more flexible manner.     

基于遗传算法的多关系数据挖掘的研究

多关系数据挖掘的研究领域涉及多个学科,它在由多张表构成的关系数据库中进行知识发现。遗传算法是模拟生物的遗传和进化过程而形成的一种自适应全局优化概率搜索算法。该文将遗传算法应用于多关系数据挖掘,组合使用Apriori方法可从多张表中高效地挖掘出有意义的关联规则。     

Particle swarm optimization with preference order ranking for multi-objective optimization

A new optimality criterion based on preference order (PO) scheme is used to identify the best compromise in multi-objective particle swarm optimization (MOPSO). This scheme is more efficient than Pareto ranking scheme, especially when the number of objectives is very large. Meanwhile, a novel updating formula for the particle’s velocity is introduced to improve the search ability of the algorithm. The proposed algorithm has been compared with NSGA-II and other two MOPSO algorithms. The experimental results indicate that the proposed approach is effective on the highly complex multi-objective optimization problems.     

A hybrid intelligent model for order allocation planning in make-to-order manufacturing

This paper investigated a multi-objective order allocation planning problem in make-to-order manufacturing with the consideration of various real-world production features. A novel hybrid intelligent optimization model, integrating a multi-objective memetic optimization (MOMO) process, a Monte Carlo simulation technique and a heuristic pruning technique, is developed to tackle this problem. The MOMO process, combining a NSGA-II optimization process with a tabu search, is proposed to provide Pareto optimal solutions. Extensive experiments based on industrial data are conducted to validate the proposed model. Results show that (1) the proposed model can effectively solve the investigated problem by providing effective production decision-making solutions; (2) the MOMO process has better capability of seeking global optimum than an NSGA-II-based optimization process and an industrial method.     

A multi-agent data mining system for cartel detection in Brazilian government procurement

The main focus of this research project is the problem of extracting useful information from the Brazilian federal procurement process databases used by government auditors in the process of corruption detection and prevention to identify cartel formation among applicants. Extracting useful information to enhance cartel detection is a complex problem from many perspectives due to the large volume of data used to correlate information and the dynamic and diversified strategies companies use to hide their fraudulent operations. To attack the problem of data volume, we have used two data mining model functions, clustering and association rules, and a multi-agent approach to address the dynamic strategies of companies that are involved in cartel formation. To integrate both solutions, we have developed AGMI, an agent-mining tool that was validated using real data from the Brazilian Office of the Comptroller General, an institution of government auditing, where several measures are currently used to prevent and fight corruption. Our approach resulted in explicit knowledge discovery because AGMI presented many association rules that provided a 90% correct identification of cartel formation, according to expert assessment. According to auditing specialists, the extracted knowledge could help in the detection, prevention and monitoring of cartels that act in public procurement processes.     

Using domain knowledge to optimize the knowledge discovery process in databases

Modern database technologies process large volumes of data to discover new knowledge. Some large databases make discovery computationally expensive. Additional knowledge, known as domain or background knowledge, can often guide and restrict the search for interesting knowledge. This paper discusses mechanisms by which domain knowledge can be used effectively in discovering knowledge from databases. In particular, we look at the use of domain knowledge to reduce the size of the database for discovery, to optimize the hypotheses which represent the interesting knowledge to be discovered, to optimize the queries used to prove the hypotheses, and to avoid possible redundant and contradictory rule discovery. Some experimental results using the IDIS knowledge discovery tool is provided. ©2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Two new meta-heuristics for a bi-objective supply chain scheduling problem in flow-shop environment

In this study, an integrated multi-objective production-distribution flow-shop scheduling problem will be taken into consideration with respect to two objective functions. The first objective function aims to minimize total weighted tardiness and make-span and the second objective function aims to minimize the summation of total weighted earliness, total weighted number of tardy jobs, inventory costs and total delivery costs. Firstly, a mathematical model is proposed for this problem. After that, two new meta-heuristic algorithms are developed in order to solve the problem. The first algorithm (HCMOPSO), is a multi-objective particle swarm optimization combined with a heuristic mutation operator, Gaussian membership function and a chaotic sequence and the second algorithm (HBNSGA-II), is a non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm II with a heuristic criterion for generation of initial population and a heuristic crossover operator. The proposed HCMOPSO and HBNSGA-II are tested and compared with a Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II (NSGA-II), a Multi-Objective Particle Swarm Optimization (MOPSO) and two state-of-the-art algorithms from recent researches, by means of several comparing criteria. The computational experiments demonstrate the outperformance of the proposed HCMOPSO and HBNSGA-II.     

Attributed multi-objective comprehensive learning particle swarm optimization for optimal security of networks

In particle swarm optimization (PSO) each particle uses its personal and global or local best positions by linear summation. However, it is very time consuming to find the global or local best positions in case of complex problems. To overcome this problem, we propose a new multi-objective variant of PSO called attributed multi-objective comprehensive learning particle swarm optimizer (A-MOCLPSO). In this technique, we do not use global or local best positions to modify the velocity of a particle; instead, we use the best position of a randomly selected particle from the whole population to update the velocity of each dimension. This method not only increases the speed of the algorithm but also searches in more promising areas of the search space. We perform an extensive experimentation on well-known benchmark problems such as Schaffer (SCH), Kursawa (KUR), and Zitzler–Deb–Thiele (ZDT) functions. The experiments show very convincing results when the proposed technique is compared with existing versions of PSO known as multi-objective comprehensive learning particle swarm optimizer (MOCLPSO) and multi-objective particle swarm optimization (MOPSO), as well as non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm II (NSGA-II). As a case study, we apply our proposed A-MOCLPSO algorithm on an attack tree model for the security hardening problem of a networked system in order to optimize the total security cost and the residual damage, and provide diverse solutions for the problem. The results of our experiments show that the proposed algorithm outperforms the previous solutions obtained for the security hardening problem using NSGA-II, as well as MOCLPSO for the same problem. Hence, the proposed algorithm can be considered as a strong alternative to solve multi-objective optimization problems.     

基于多层次信息交互的多目标粒子群优化算法

为提高多目标优化算法的收敛性和多样性,提出一种基于多层次信息交互的多目标粒子群优化算法.在该算法中,整个优化过程可分为标准粒子群优化层、粒子进化与学习层和档案信息交换层3个层次.粒子进化与学习层保证了每次迭代都能得到更好的粒子位置;档案信息交换层可以提供更好的全局最优.优化算法各个层次之间通过信息交互,共同提高算法的收敛性和多样性.与NSGA-Ⅱ和MOPSO算法的对比分析表明,所提出算法具有良好的性能,能够有效解决多目标优化问题.     

Intelligent query answering by knowledge discovery techniques

Knowledge discovery facilitates querying database knowledge and intelligent query answering in database systems. We investigate the application of discovered knowledge, concept hierarchies, and knowledge discovery tools for intelligent query answering in database systems. A knowledge-rich data model is constructed to incorporate discovered knowledge and knowledge discovery tools. Queries are classified into data queries and knowledge queries. Both types of queries can be answered directly by simple retrieval or intelligently by analyzing the intent of query and providing generalized, neighborhood or associated information using stored or discovered knowledge. Techniques have been developed for intelligent query answering using discovered knowledge and/or knowledge discovery tools, which includes generalization, data summarization, concept clustering, rule discovery, query rewriting, deduction, lazy evaluation, application of multiple-layered databases, etc. Our study shows that knowledge discovery substantially broadens the spectrum of intelligent query answering and may have deep implications on query answering in data- and knowledge-base systems     

An Overview of Data Mining and Knowledge Discovery

With massive amounts of data stored in databases,mining information and knowledge in databases has become an important issue in recent research.Researchers in many different fields have shown great interest in date mining and knowledge discovery in databases.Several emerging applications in information providing services,such as data warehousing and on-line services over the Internet,also call for various data mining and knowledge discovery tchniques to understand used behavior better,to improve the service provided,and to increase the business opportunities.In response to such a demand,this article is to provide a comprehensive survey on the data mining and knowledge discorvery techniques developed recently,and introduce some real application systems as well.In conclusion,this article also lists some problems and challenges for further research.     

Data mining methods for knowledge discovery in multi-objective optimization: Part B - New developments and applications

The first part of this paper served as a comprehensive survey of data mining methods that have been used to extract knowledge from solutions generated during multi-objective optimization. The current paper addresses three major shortcomings of existing methods, namely, lack of interactiveness in the objective space, inability to handle discrete variables and inability to generate explicit knowledge. Four data mining methods are developed that can discover knowledge in the decision space and visualize it in the objective space. These methods are (i) sequential pattern mining, (ii) clustering-based classification trees, (iii) hybrid learning, and (iv) flexible pattern mining. Each method uses a unique learning strategy to generate explicit knowledge in the form of patterns, decision rules and unsupervised rules. The methods are also capable of taking the decision maker’s preferences into account to generate knowledge unique to preferred regions of the objective space. Three realistic production systems involving different types of discrete variables are chosen as application studies. A multi-objective optimization problem is formulated for each system and solved using NSGA-II to generate the optimization datasets. Next, all four methods are applied to each dataset. In each application, the methods discover similar knowledge for specified regions of the objective space. Overall, the unsupervised rules generated by flexible pattern mining are found to be the most consistent, whereas the supervised rules from classification trees are the most sensitive to user-preferences.