Comparative evaluation of genetic algorithms for job-shop scheduling

Neural networks and fuzzy systems are two soft‐computing paradigms for system modelling. Adapting a neural or fuzzy system requires to solve two optimization problems: structural optimization and parametric optimization. Structural optimization is a discrete optimization problem which is very hard to solve using conventional optimization techniques. Parametric optimization can be solved using conventional optimization techniques, but the solution may be easily trapped at a bad local optimum. Evolutionary computation is a general‐purpose stochastic global optimization approach under the universally accepted neo‐Darwinian paradigm, which is a combination of the classical Darwinian evolutionary theory, the selectionism of Weismann, and the genetics of Mendel. Evolutionary algorithms are a major approach to adaptation and optimization. In this paper, we first introduce evolutionary algorithms with emphasis on genetic algorithms and evolutionary strategies. Other evolutionary algorithms such as genetic programming, evolutionary programming, particle swarm optimization, immune algorithm, and ant colony optimization are also described. Some topics pertaining to evolutionary algorithms are also discussed, and a comparison between evolutionary algorithms and simulated annealing is made. Finally, the application of EAs to the learning of neural networks as well as to the structural and parametric adaptations of fuzzy systems is also detailed.

Many optimization problems from computer science and engineering are very complex in nature and hard to solve by conventional optimization techniques. Since the 1960s, there has been an increasing interest in imitating living beings to solve such kinds of hard optimization problems. Simulating a natural evolutionary process of human beings results in stochastic optimization techniques called evolutionary algorithms (EAs) that can often outperform conventional optimization methods when applied to difficult‐real world problems. Among them, genetic algorithms (GAs) are perhaps the most widely known types of EAs today.

Evolutionary computation (EC) is the study of computational systems that borrow ideas from and are inspired by natural evolution and adaptation (Yao & Xu, 2006, pp. 1-18). EC covers a number of techniques based on evolutionary processes and natural selection: evolutionary strategies, genetic algorithms and genetic programming (Keedwell & Narayanan, 2005). Evolutionary strategies are an approach for efficiently solving certain continuous problems, yielding good results for some parametric problems in real domains. Compared with genetic algorithms, evolutionary strategies run more exploratory searches and are a good option when applied to relatively unknown parametric problems. Genetic algorithms emulate the evolutionary process that takes place in nature. Individuals compete for survival by adapting as best they can to the environmental conditions. Crossovers between individuals, mutations and deaths are all part of this process of adaptation. By substituting the natural environment for the problem to be solved, we get a computationally cheap method that is capable of dealing with any problem, provided we know how to determine individuals’ fitness (Manrique, 2001). Genetic programming is an extension of genetic algorithms (Couchet, Manrique, Ríos & Rodríguez- Patón, 2006). Its aim is to build computer programs that are not expressly designed and programmed by a human being. It can be said to be an optimization technique whose search space is composed of all possible computer programs for solving a particular problem. Genetic programming’s key advantage over genetic algorithms is that it can handle individuals (computer programs) of different lengths. Grammar-guided genetic programming (GGGP) is an extension of traditional GP systems (Whigham, 1995, pp. 33-41). The difference lies in the fact that they employ context-free grammars (CFG) that generate all the possible solutions to a given problem as sentences, establishing this way the formal definition of the syntactic problem constraints, and use the derivation trees for each sentence to encode these solutions (Dounias, Tsakonas, Jantzen, Axer, Bjerregard & von Keyserlingk, D. 2002, pp. 494-500). The use of this type of syntactic formalisms helps to solve the so-called closure problem (Whigham, 1996). To achieve closure valid individuals (points that belong to the search space) should always be generated. As the generation of invalid individuals slows down convergence speed a great deal, solving this problem will very much improve the GP search capability. The basic operator directly affecting the closure problem is crossover: crossing two (or any) valid individuals should generate a valid offspring. Similarly, this is the operator that has the biggest impact on the process of convergence towards the optimum solution. Therefore, this article reviews the most important crossover operators employed in GP and GGGP, highlighting the weaknesses existing nowadays in this area of research. We also propose a GGGP system. This system incorporates the original idea of employing ambiguous CFG to overcome these weaknesses, thereby increasing convergence speed and reducing the likelihood of trapping in local optima. Comparative results are shown to empirically corroborate our claims.

With the development of science and technology, there has been growing the grid size, the growing demand for electricity and the extent of increasing the electricity market.In this paper, a mathematical morphology and genetic algorithm based dynamic reactive power optimization method for distribution network is proposed.By means of constructing mathematical morphology filter, the binary image composed by allelic genes of chromosome is filtered and the problem that deals with the action times of voltage regulating devices for compensation is turned into filtering problem of discrete binary image.With further automate scheduling, distribution automation and unmanned substation reactive power optimization of distribution line running made an urgent request.Reactive power optimization can improve the voltage passing rate, increasing the reliability of the system, the power quality, and the system runs the security and economy of the perfect combination, very broad application prospects.

Real-world has many optimization scenarios with multiple constraints and objective functions that are discontinuous, nonlinear, non-convex, and multi-modal in nature. Also, the optimization problems are multi-dimensional with mixed types of variables like integer, real, discrete, binary, and having a different range of values which demands normalization. Hence, the search space of the problem cannot be smooth. Evolutionary algorithms have started gaining attention and have been employed for computational processes to solve complex engineering problems. Because it has become an instrument for research scientists and engineers who need to apply the supremacy of the theory of evolution to shape any optimization-based research problems and articles. In this chapter, there is a comprehensive introduction to the optimization field with the state-of-the-art in evolutionary computation. Though many books have described such areas of optimization in any form as evolution strategies, genetic programming, genetic algorithms, and evolutionary programming, evolutionary algorithms, that is, evolutionary computation is remarkable for considering it to discuss in detail as a general class.

This paper presents a comparative study for three evolutionary algorithms (EAs) to the optimal reactive power planning (ORPP) problem: evolutionary programming, evolutionary strategy, and genetic algorithm. The ORPP problem is decomposed into P- and Q-optimization modules, and each module is optimized by the EAs in an iterative manner to obtain the global solution. The EA methods for the ORPP problem are evaluated against the IEEE 30-bus system as a common testbed, and the results are compared against each other and with those of linear programming.

In this paper, we review recent advances in evolutionary programming (EP) and its implementation in various antenna, microwave, frequency selective surfaces and RF circuit optimization problems. EP, unlike the other two paradigms of evolutionary computational techniques, namely, genetic algorithms (GA) and evolution strategies (ES), uses a mutation only variation operator where adaptive and/or self-adaptive techniques exist, or can easily be designed, for adapting the parameters of mutation operator during the evolution process. We present the so-called meta-EP and design of its mutation operator, using Gaussian, Cauchy and Poisson mutations as well as a hybrid of these mutations, for continuous, discrete and mixed parameter electromagnetic optimization problems. In addition, an efficient hybrid use of EP, gradient search methods and cluster analysis, as well as a novel hybrid EP-GA algorithm are discussed. Examples presented include optimizations of corrugated horn antennas, multilayered stacked microstrip antennas, Yagi-Uda arrays, partially reflective surfaces, dielectric filters, meander-line polarizer and RF duplexers

This research introduces the Sparse Sensor Placement Optimization for Prediction algorithm and explores its use in bioinspired flight-by-feel control system design. Flying animals have velocity-sensing structures on their wings and are capable of highly agile flight in unsteady conditions, a proof-of-concept that artificial flight-by-feel control systems may be effective. Constrained by size, weight, and power, a flight-by-feel sensory system should have the fewest optimally placed sensors which capture enough information to predict the flight state. Flow datasets, such as from computational fluid dynamics, are discrete, often highly discontinuous, and ill-suited for conventional sensor placement optimization techniques. The data-driven Sparse Sensor Placement Optimization for Prediction approach reduces high-dimensional flow data to a low-dimensional sparse approximation containing nearly all of the original information, thereby identifying a near-optimal placement for any number of sensors. For two or more airflow velocity magnitude sensors, this algorithm finds a placement solution (design point) which predicts angle of attack of airfoils to within 0.10° and ranks within the top 1% of all possible design points validated by combinatorial search. The scalability and adaptability of this algorithm is demonstrated on several 2D model variations in clean and noisy data, and model sensitivities are evaluated and compared against conventional optimization techniques. Applications for this sensor placement algorithm are explored for aircraft design, flight control, and beyond.

The problem of reconstructing an irregularly sampled discrete-time band-limited signal with unknown sampling locations can be analyzed using both geometric and algebraic approaches. This problem can be solved using iterative and non-iterative techniques including the cyclic coordinate approach and the random search method. When the spectrum of the given signal is band-limited to L coefficients, the algebraic structure underlying the signal can be dealt using subspace techniques and a method is suggested to classify the solutions based on this approach. We numerically solve the Irregular Sampling at Unknown Locations (ISUL) problem by considering it as a combinatorial optimization problem. The exhaustive search method to determine the optimum solution is computationally intensive. The need for a more efficient optimization technique to save computational complexity leads us to propose Evolutionary Programming as a stochastic optimization technique. Evolutionary algorithms, based on the models of natural evolution were originally developed as a method to evolve finite-state machines for solving time series prediction tasks and were later extended to parameter optimization problems. The solution space is modeled as a population of individuals, and the search for the optimum solution is obtained by evolving to the best individual in the population. We propose an Evolutionary Programming (EP) based method to converge to the global optimum and obtain the set of sampling locations for the given irregularly sampled signal. The results obtained by EP are compared with the Random Search and Cyclic Coordinate descent algorithms.

Evolutionary algorithms, simulated annealing and tabu search: a comparative study

The objective of this paper is to investigate the efficiency of various computational algorithms implemented in the framework of structural optimization methods based on evolutionary algorithms. In particular, the efficiency of parallel computational strategies is examined with reference to evolution strategies (ES) and genetic algorithms (GA). Parallel strategies are implemented both at the level of the optimization algorithm, by exploiting the natural parallelization features of the evolutionary algorithms, as well as at the level of the repeated structural analysis problems that are required by ES and GA. In the latter case the finite element solutions are performed by the FETI domain decomposition method specially tailored to the particular type of problems at hand. The proposed methodology is generic and can be applied to all types of optimization problems as long as they involve large‐scale finite element simulations. The numerical tests of the present study are performed on sizing optimization of skeletal structures. The numerical tests demonstrate the computational advantages of the proposed parallel strategies, which become more pronounced in large‐scale optimization problems. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The digitalization of data has recently had an impact on the building industry. Building information modeling (BIM) is a highly developed technology that is used to predict the cost, lifespan, energy use, and efficiency of buildings. To enhance the BIM accuracy of cost and time estimation currently, it’s easier than before by Using evolutionary algorithms (EA), which include contemporary algorithms like evolutionary strategies (ES), evolutionary programming (EP), particle swarm optimization (PSO), differential evolution (DE), and genetic algorithms (GA), the integration of artificial intelligence (AI). This study uses a code (plugin) created by GA and integrated into the BIM-5D model via Navisworks as a plugin to reduce the overall time and cost of construction projects. The plugin code, developed with Microsoft Visual Studio and the C# programming language, is an interface that enhances the accuracy of time and cost during construction stages with various five project time scenarios. The study’s findings indicate that the suggested plugin reduces project time by roughly 20% while also saving various amounts of money.

In this study, the authors presented a distributed optical fibre temperature sensor whose performance is improved using the optimisation techniques and Fourier wavelet regularised deconvolution (ForWaRD) method. As the input power launched into the sensing fibre is critical, the authors have considered both conventional optimisation technique and evolutionary optimisation techniques namely: genetic algorithm, differential evolution algorithm and particle swarm optimisation algorithm to increase the stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) threshold power. Using the optimised value of the parameters and employing evolutionary computing techniques, the proposed 50 km long temperature sensing system offers a 4.7 dB improvement in SBS threshold power over the design of experiment based system. It is being verified that power of the backscattered signals approximately are the convolution of the input pulsed power and corresponding backscatter optical fibre impulse responses. The Fourier wavelet regularised deconvolution (ForWaRD) method is employed to improve the spatial resolution of the proposed sensing system without reducing the pulse width of the input pulse. Employing ForWaRD technique a 10 m better spatial resolution observed as compared with the Fourier deconvolution technique. The proposed 50 km long temperature sensing system exhibits a temperature resolution of 1.85 K because of suppression of SBS threshold and noise reduction.

In biology, the fitness of an organism includes both its ability to survive and its ability to reproduce. However, most selection schemes used in evolutionary algorithms (EAs) have only embraced half part of this: the matter of concern is fertility in genetic algorithms (GA) in general, and viability in evolution strategies (ES) and evolutionary programming (EP) in particular. Although selection schemes that impose selection pressure on both viability and fertility exist as a minority, they have been mainly applied to single-objective optimization, in which viability and fertility are both evaluated according to the one and only objective function value. In this paper, we described a two-step selection scheme for constrained evolutionary optimization: viability selection and fertility selection procedures are executed sequentially during the life cycle of individuals, where viability and fertility are evaluated according to penalty function and objective respectively. The experimental results on thirteen benchmark problems show that the new selection scheme is quite comparable to the other state-of-the-art schemes.

Determining optimal parameters for stereolithography processes via genetic algorithm