Multi-swarm optimization

About: Multi-swarm optimization is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 19162 publications have been published within this topic receiving 549725 citations.

A mixed-discrete Particle Swarm Optimization algorithm with explicit diversity-preservation

Abstract: Engineering design problems often involve non-linear criterion functions, including inequality and equality constraints, and a mixture of discrete and continuous design variables. Optimization approaches entail substantial challenges when solving such an all-inclusive design problem. In this paper, a modification of the Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm is presented, which can adequately address system constraints while dealing with mixed-discrete variables. Continuous search (particle motion), as in conventional PSO, is implemented as the primary search strategy; subsequently, the discrete variables are updated using a deterministic nearest-feasible-vertex criterion. This approach is expected to alleviate the undesirable difference in the rates of evolution of discrete and continuous variables. The premature stagnation of candidate solutions (particles) due to loss of diversity is known to be one of the primary drawbacks of the basic PSO dynamics. To address this issue in high dimensional design problems, a new adaptive diversity-preservation technique is developed. This technique characterizes the population diversity at each iteration. The estimated diversity measure is then used to apply (i) a dynamic repulsion away from the best global solution in the case of continuous variables, and (ii) a stochastic update of the discrete variables. For performance validation, the Mixed-Discrete PSO algorithm is applied to a wide variety of standard test problems: (i) a set of 9 unconstrained problems, and (ii) a comprehensive set of 98 Mixed-Integer Nonlinear Programming (MINLP) problems. We also explore the applicability of this algorithm to a large scale engineering design problem---wind farm layout optimization.

Improved PSO-based Task Scheduling Algorithm in Cloud Computing

Abstract: Job scheduling system problem is a core and challenging issue in cloud computing. How to use cloud computing resources efficiently and gain the maximum profits with job scheduling system is one of the cloud computing service providers’ ultimate goals. For characteristics of particle swarm optimization algorithm in solving the large-scale combination optimization problem easy to fall into the search speed slowly and partially the most superior, the global fast convergence of simulated annealing algorithm is utilized to combine particle swarm optimization algorithm in each iteration, which enhances the convergence rate and improves the efficiency. This paper proposed the improve particle swarm optimization algorithm in resources scheduling strategy of the cloud computing. Through experiments, the results show that this method can reduce the task average running time, and raises the rate availability of resources.

A particle swarm optimization algorithm for beam angle selection in intensity-modulated radiotherapy planning

Abstract: Automatic beam angle selection is an important but challenging problem for intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) planning. Though many efforts have been made, it is still not very satisfactory in clinical IMRT practice because of overextensive computation of the inverse problem. In this paper, a new technique named BASPSO (Beam Angle Selection with a Particle Swarm Optimization algorithm) is presented to improve the efficiency of the beam angle optimization problem. Originally developed as a tool for simulating social behaviour, the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm is a relatively new population-based evolutionary optimization technique first introduced by Kennedy and Eberhart in 1995. In the proposed BASPSO, the beam angles are optimized using PSO by treating each beam configuration as a particle (individual), and the beam intensity maps for each beam configuration are optimized using the conjugate gradient (CG) algorithm. These two optimization processes are implemented iteratively. The performance of each individual is evaluated by a fitness value calculated with a physical objective function. A population of these individuals is evolved by cooperation and competition among the individuals themselves through generations. The optimization results of a simulated case with known optimal beam angles and two clinical cases (a prostate case and a head-and-neck case) show that PSO is valid and efficient and can speed up the beam angle optimization process. Furthermore, the performance comparisons based on the preliminary results indicate that, as a whole, the PSO-based algorithm seems to outperform, or at least compete with, the GA-based algorithm in computation time and robustness. In conclusion, the reported work suggested that the introduced PSO algorithm could act as a new promising solution to the beam angle optimization problem and potentially other optimization problems in IMRT, though further studies need to be investigated.