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This paper reviews the papers on the applications of VNS in the health care area by analyzing the characteristics of VNS in different problems. In the health care field, many complex optimization problems need to be tackled in a short time considering multiple influencing factors, such as personnel preferences, resources limitations, etc. As a metaheuristic, Variable neighborhood search (VNS) algorithm can get an approximate solution for the complex problem in a short time, and has been widely used to deal with the real-world health care optimization problems based on systematic neighborhood changes and perturbation operations when needed. We classify the found papers into five categories based on the topics, i.e., home health care problems, operating room problems, nurse rostering problems, routing optimization problems, and other topics. For each topic, the detailed operations of VNS and the differences in solving various problems have been discussed. In addition, we analyze the studied problems and summarize the approaches used in the literature. The application tendency of VNS in the health care area is also discussed at the end of the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ship maintenance service optimisation is of great significance for improving the competitiveness of shipbuilding enterprises. In this paper, we investigate a ship maintenance service scheduling problem considering the deteriorating maintenance time, distributed maintenance tasks, and limited maintenance teams. The objective is to minimise the service span. First, we construct an initial mixed-integer programming model for the studied problem. Then, through the property analysis of the problem with a single maintenance team, an exact scheduling algorithm is proposed. In addition, the lower bound of the problem with multiple maintenance teams is derived. A scheduled rule is developed to obtain the lower bound for the problem. Based on the property analysis, the original mixed-integer programming model is simplified to an improved mathematical programming model. Since the studied problem is NP-hard, this paper proposes two heuristic algorithms and an integrated metaheuristic algorithm based on the variable neighbourhood search to obtain approximate optimal solutions in a reasonable time. In computational experiments, the two models can solve problems on small scale, while metaheuristics can find approximately optimal solutions in each problem category. Moreover, the computational results validate the performance of the proposed integrated metaheuristic in terms of convergence and stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Demand-Driven Material Requirements Planning (DDMRP) is a recent inventory management method that has generated considerable interest in both academia and industry. Many recent papers have demonstrated the superiority of DDMRP over classical methods like MRP or Kanban, an observation confirmed by companies that have implemented DDMRP. However, DDMRP depends on many parameters that affect its performance. Only general rules are given by the authors of the method to fix these parameters but no algorithm. The present paper aims to fill this gap by proposing a multi-objective optimisation algorithm to fix a set of eight identified parameters. The suggested genetic algorithm is coupled with a simulation algorithm that computes the objective functions. Two opposing objective functions are considered: first, the maximisation of orders delivered on-time to the customer and, second, the minimisation of on-hand inventory. A set of data instances was generated to test the suggested method. Fronts of non-dominated solutions are found for all these instances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An efficient variant of the recent sea horse optimizer (SHO) called SHO-OBL is presented, which incorporates the opposition-based learning (OBL) approach into the predation behavior of SHO and uses the greedy selection (GS) technique at the end of each optimization cycle. This enhancement was created to avoid being trapped by local optima and to improve the quality and variety of solutions obtained. However, the SHO can occasionally be vulnerable to stagnation in local optima, which is a problem of concern given the low diversity of sea horses. In this paper, an SHO-OBL is suggested for the tackling of genuine and global optimization systems. To investigate the validity of the suggested SHO-OBL, it is compared with nine robust optimizers, including differential evolution (DE), grey wolf optimizer (GWO), moth-flame optimization algorithm (MFO), sine cosine algorithm (SCA), fitness dependent optimizer (FDO), Harris hawks optimization (HHO), chimp optimization algorithm (ChOA), Fox optimizer (FOX), and the basic SHO in ten unconstrained test routines belonging to the IEEE congress on evolutionary computation 2020 (CEC'20). Furthermore, three different design engineering issues, including the welded beam, the tension/compression spring, and the pressure vessel, are solved using the proposed SHO-OBL to test its applicability. In addition, one of the most successful approaches to data transmission in a wireless sensor network that uses little energy is clustering. In this paper, SHO-OBL is suggested to assist in the process of choosing the optimal power-aware cluster heads based on a predefined objective function that takes into account the residual power of the node, as well as the sum of the powers of surrounding nodes. Similarly, the performance of SHO-OBL is compared to that of its competitors. Thorough simulations demonstrate that the suggested SHO-OBL algorithm outperforms in terms of residual power, network lifespan, and extended stability duration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past decade, metaheuristic algorithms have gained significant attention from researchers due to their effectiveness and computational efficiency. Conventional clustering algorithms often suffer from various limitations, but the use of metaheuristic algorithms into clustering has shown promising results in achieving globally optimal centroid positions within clusters. The paper shows the implementation of metaheuristic algorithms with the kernel possibilistic fuzzy c-means algorithm (KPFCM), leading to notable improvements under normal as well as under noisy conditions. Furthermore, this paper focuses on optimizing the objective functions (case-1: single objective function; case-2: multiobjective function) through the utilization of the kernel trick and the probabilistic nature of metaheuristic algorithms, specifically genetic algorithm (GA), particle swarm optimization (PSO), and teaching learning-based optimization (TLBO) algorithm. The proposed approach is evaluated on six benchmark datasets, considering both single objective function optimization (case-1) and multiobjective function optimization (case-2). In case-1, three hybrid algorithms are introduced for single objective function optimization: the genetic algorithm-based kernel possibilistic fuzzy c-means (GA-KPFCM) algorithm, the particle swarm optimization-based kernel possibilistic fuzzy c-means (PSO-KPFCM) algorithm, and the teaching learning-based optimization with kernel possibilistic fuzzy c-means (TLBO-KPFCM) algorithm. Results obtained from these algorithms demonstrate improved performance compared to traditional possibilistic fuzzy c-means (PFCM) and kernel possibilistic fuzzy c-means (KPFCM) algorithms. Additionally, a comparative analysis of hybrid metaheuristic with kernel possibilistic fuzzy c-means algorithms is conducted against hybrid metaheuristic fuzzy c-means algorithms and hybrid metaheuristic possibilistic fuzzy c-means algorithms, confirming the superiority of the proposed hybrid combinations. For multiobjective optimization (MOO) clustering, a Pareto front is established using the concept of non-dominated solutions. The proposed multiobjective hybrid algorithms (case-2) for optimization include the multiobjective particle swarm optimization kernel possibilistic fuzzy c-means (MPSO-KPFCM) algorithm, the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm third generation kernel possibilistic fuzzy c-means (NSGAIII-KPFCM) algorithm, and the non-dominated sorting teaching learning-based optimization kernel possibilistic fuzzy c-means (NSTLBO-KPFCM) algorithm. These algorithms demonstrate their effectiveness in achieving optimal solutions for multiobjective clustering problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Robotic Assembly Line Balancing Problem (RALBP) is a joint optimisation problem that is concerned with assigning both assembly operations and robots to workstations that are placed within a straight line. RALBP-2 is the particular problem where the cycle time, which is the maximum time spent on a workstation by the product being assembled, is minimised while the number of workstations is fixed. Sequence-dependent setup times are considered which raises the problem of sequencing the operations assigned to each workstation. Both the durations of the operations and the setup times depend on the robot. Two different variants are identified from literature. The first variant assumes that, given a set of types of robots, each type of robot can be assigned to multiple workstations without any limitation. Given a set of robots, the second variant forces each robot to be assigned to at most one workstation. Both assumptions are studied in this paper. The particular case of a given giant sequence of operations is solved thanks to a polynomial optimal algorithm. The latter algorithm, called split, is then embedded in a metaheuristic framework that explores the space of giant sequences. Benchmark data sets from literature are considered in the experimental section. A comparative study with other methods from literature shows the competitiveness of the suggested approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A traditional logistics decision model mainly studies the location decision of logistics distribution centers, storage inventory management, vehicle scheduling, and transportation routes. The logistics location-inventory-routing problem (LIRP) is an integrated optimization of the three problems—a comprehensive optimization problem for the whole logistics system. This review paper uses the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis) method to review the literature on LIRP systematically. A total of 112 LIRP-related studies published between 2010 and 2021 are reviewed and classified based on 10 abstract and citation databases. The classification includes four aspects: problem characteristics, demand data types, model-based solutions, and application fields. From this systematic review, a few observations are recorded. First, the most popular problems among researchers are the multi-period multi-product problem, the multi-echelon single-link problem, and the multi-depot multi-retailer problem. Based on the objective function, the minimization of total supply chain cost is the primary concern of the LIRP literature. Researchers also favor other problem characteristics such as multi-objective programming, inventory control replenishment policy, and a homogeneous fleet of vehicles. We found that stochastic data are a common factor in an uncertain environment and have broad coverage. When dealing with the LIRP, heuristic and metaheuristic algorithms are the most widely used solution methodologies in the literature. In the application field of LIRP, the perishable products logistics network is mentioned in most applications. Finally, we discuss and emphasize the challenges of and recommendations for future work. This paper provides a systematic review of the literature on LIRP based on the PRISMA method, which contributes vital support and valuable information for researchers interested in LIRP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radiomics is a non-invasive method for extracting quantitative and higher-dimensional features from medical images for diagnosis. It has received great attention due to its huge application prospects in recent years. We can know that the number of features selected by the existing radiomics feature selectionmethods is basically about ten. In this paper, a heuristic feature selection method based on frequency iteration and multiple supervised training mode is proposed. Based on the combination between features, it decomposes all features layer by layer to select the optimal features for each layer, then fuses the optimal features to form a local optimal group layer by layer and iterates to the global optimal combination finally. Compared with the currentmethod with the best prediction performance in the three data sets, thismethod proposed in this paper can reduce the number of features fromabout ten to about three without losing classification accuracy and even significantly improving classification accuracy. The proposed method has better interpretability and generalization ability, which gives it great potential in the feature selection of radiomics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent growth in data dimensions presents challenges to data mining and machine learning. A high-dimensional dataset consists of several features. Data may include irrelevant or additional features. By removing these redundant and unwanted features, the dimensions of the data can be reduced. The feature selection process eliminates a small set of relevant and important features from a large data set, reducing the size of the dataset. Multiple optimization problems can be solved using metaheuristic algorithms. Recently, the Grasshopper Optimization Algorithm (GOA) has attracted the attention of researchers as a swarm intelligence algorithm based on metaheuristics. An extensive review of papers on GOA-based feature selection algorithms in the years 2018–2023 is presented based on extensive research in the area of feature selection and GOA. A comparison of GOA-based feature selection methods is presented, along with evaluation strategies and simulation environments in this paper. Furthermore, this study summarizes and classifies GOA in several areas. Although many researchers have introduced their novelty in the feature selection problem, many open challenges and enhancements remain. The survey concludes with a discussion about some open research challenges and problems that require further attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metaheuristic algorithm is a generalization of heuristic algorithm that can be applied to almost all optimization problems. For optimization problems, metaheuristic algorithm is one of the methods to find its optimal solution or approximate solution under limited conditions. Most of the existing metaheuristic algorithms are designed for serial systems. Meanwhile, existing algorithms still have a lot of room for improvement in convergence speed, robustness, and performance. To address these issues, this paper proposes an easily parallelizable metaheuristic optimization algorithm called team competition and cooperation optimization (TCCO) inspired by the process of human team cooperation and competition. The proposed algorithm attempts to mathematically model human team cooperation and competition to promote the optimization process and find an approximate solution as close as possible to the optimal solution under limited conditions. In order to evaluate the performance of the proposed algorithm, this paper compares the solution accuracy and convergence speed of the TCCO algorithm with the Grasshopper Optimization Algorithm (GOA), Seagull Optimization Algorithm (SOA), Whale Optimization Algorithm (WOA) and Sparrow Search Algorithm (SSA). Experiment results of 30 test functions commonly used in the optimization field indicate that, compared with these current advanced metaheuristic algorithms, TCCO has strong competitiveness in both solution accuracy and convergence speed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As one of the important concepts in epidemiology, herd immunity was recommended to control the COVID-19 pandemic. Inspired by this technique, the Coronavirus Herd Immunity Optimiser has recently been introduced, demonstrating promising results in addressing optimisation problems. This particular algorithm has been utilised to address optimisation problems widely; However, there is room for enhancement in its performance by making modifications to its parameters. This paper aims to improve the Coronavirus Herd Immunity Optimisation algorithm to employ it in addressing breast cancer diagnosis problem through feature selection. For this purpose, the algorithm was discretised after the improvements were made. The Opposition-Based Learning approach was applied to balance the exploration and exploitation stages to enhance performance. The resulting algorithm was employed in the diagnosis of breast cancer, and its performance was evaluated on ten benchmark functions. According to the simulation results, it demonstrates superior performance in comparison with other well-known approaches of the similar nature. The results demonstrate that the new approach performs well in diagnosing breast cancer with high accuracy and less computational complexity and can address a variety of real-world optimisation problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a modified metaheuristic algorithm named the modified Firefly algorithm. Any metaheuristic algorithm will have exploration and exploitation steps, and the goal of modification is to maintain a balance between them. The improvement relies on movement equations, alterations to the algorithm's structure by introducing a single loop, and a selection of movement equations at random. Two movement equations are included in the improved method and are randomly selected. This guarantees both regionally and globally focused solution-finding. This prevents the algorithm from getting stuck at a local minimum. Comparing the modified version to the original Firefly method, just one for loop is used, reducing the algorithm's complexity. The algorithm's performance is evaluated with 35 traditional benchmark test functions and 10 CEC2019 test functions. According to the findings, the suggested method performed optimally in 24 traditional benchmark test functions and best in the six remaining benchmark test functions. The improved algorithm produced the best outcomes in seven of the 10 CEC2019 test functions. In contrast, the Firefly algorithm produced optimal results in 18 classical benchmark test functions and the best results in 6 CEC2019 test functions. The proposed algorithm is compared with other variants of the Firefly algorithm for common test functions in the literature. The results show that the proposed algorithm outperforms other variants in most test functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various metaheuristic algorithms inspired by nature have been designed to deal with a variety of practical optimization problems. As an excellent metaheuristic algorithm, the improved particle swarm optimization algorithm based on grouping (IPSO) has strong global search capabilities. However, it lacks a strong local search ability and the ability to solve constrained discrete optimization problems. This paper focuses on improving these two aspects of the IPSO algorithm. Based on IPSO, we propose an improved particle swarm optimization algorithm based on variable neighborhood search (VN-IPSO) and design a 0-1 integer programming solution with constraints. In the experiment, the performance of the VN-IPSO algorithm is fully tested and analyzed using 23 classic benchmark functions (continuous optimization), 6 knapsack problems (discrete optimization), and 10 CEC2017 composite functions (complex functions). The results show that the VN-IPSO algorithm wins 18 first places in the classic benchmark function test set, including 6 first places in the solutions for seven unimodal test functions, indicating a good local search ability. In solving the six knapsack problems, it wins four first places, demonstrating the effectiveness of the 0-1 integer programming constraint solution and the excellent solution ability of VN-IPSO in discrete optimization problems. In the test of 10 composite functions, VN-IPSO wins first place four times and ranks the first in the comprehensive ranking, demonstrating its excellent solving ability for complex functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supply chain efficiency is a major challenge in today's business environment, where efficient resource allocation and coordination of activities are essential for competitive advantage. Traditional efficiency strategies often struggle for resources for the complex and dynamic network. In response, bio-inspired metaheuristic algorithms have emerged as powerful tools to solve these optimization problems. Referring to the random search nature of metaheuristic algorithms and emphasizing that no metaheuristic algorithm is the best optimizer for all optimization applications, the No Free Lunch (NFL) theorem encourages researchers to design newer algorithms to be able to provide more effective solutions to optimization problems. Motivated by the NFL theorem, the innovation and novelty of this paper is in designing a new meta-heuristic algorithm called Bobcat Optimization Algorithm (BOA) that imitates the natural behavior of bobcats in the wild. The basic inspiration of BOA is derived from the hunting strategy of bobcats during the attack towards the prey and the chase process between them. The theory of BOA is stated and then mathematically modeled in two phases (i) exploration based on the simulation of the bobcat's position change while moving towards the prey and (ii) exploitation based on simulating the bobcat's position change during the chase process to catch the prey. The performance of BOA is evaluated in optimization to handle the CEC 2017 test suite for problem dimensions equal to 10, 30, 50, and 100, as well as to address CEC 2020. The optimization results show that BOA has a high ability in exploration, exploitation, and balance them during the search process in order to achieve a suitable solution for optimization problems. The results obtained from BOA are compared with the performance of twelve well-known metaheuristic algorithms. The findings show that BOA has been successful in handling the CEC 2017 test suite in 89.65, 79.31, 93.10, and 89.65% of the functions for the problem dimension equal to 10, 30, 50, and 100, respectively. Also, the findings show that in order to handle the CEC 2020 test suite, BOA has been successful in 100% of the functions of this test suite. The statistical analysis confirms that BOA has a significant statistical superiority in the competition with the compared algorithms. Also, in order to analyze the efficiency of BOA in dealing with real world applications, twenty-two constrained optimization problems from CEC 2011 test suite and four engineering design problems have been selected. The findings show that BOA has been successful in 90.90% of CEC2011 test suite optimization problems and in 100% of engineering design problems. In addition, the efficiency of BOA to handle SCM applications has been challenged to solve ten case studies in the field of sustainable lot size optimization. The findings show that BOA has successfully provided superior performance in 100% of the case studies compared to competitor algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Multi-Depot Open Vehicle Routing Problem (MDOVRP) is only one example of several optimization problems that are classified as NP-hard. Therefore, heuristic and metaheuristic approaches are helpful in obtaining a near-optimal solution. A hybrid HHO algorithm called HHO-PSO is proposed in this work to address the MDOVRP. The goal is to minimize costs for the routes of a fleet of vehicles that start moving from depots and fulfill customers' demands. To improve the exploration of the Harris Hawks Optimization (HHO) algorithm, the exploration method of Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) which is more robust, is used in this paper. Experimental results proved that the proposed hybrid algorithm works better than the original PSO and HHO in discrete space in terms of balance, exploitation, and exploration to solve the MDOVRP. Moreover, the suggested algorithm is compared to five cutting-edge approaches on 24 MDOVRP instances with a broad number of customers. The computational findings reveal that the suggested approach outperformed the other comparable metaheuristic techniques in solving the MDOVRP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Marine Predators Algorithm (MPA) is a swarm intelligence algorithm developed based on the foraging behavior of the ocean's predators. This algorithm has drawbacks including, insufficient population diversity, leading to trapping in local optima and poor convergence. To mitigate these drawbacks, this paper introduces an enhanced MPA based on Adaptive Sampling with Maximin Distance Criterion (AM) and the horizontal and vertical crossover operators – i.e. Adaptive Crossover-based MPA (AC-MPA). The AM approach is used to generate diverse and well-distributed candidate solutions. Whereas the horizontal and vertical crossover operators maintain the population diversity during the search process. The performance of AC-MPA was tested using 51 benchmark functions from CEC2017, CEC2020, and CEC2022, with varying degrees of dimensionality, and the findings are compared with those of its basic version, variants, and numerous well-established metaheuristics. Additionally, 11 engineering optimization problems were utilized to verify the capabilities of the AC-MPA in handling real-world optimization problems. The findings clearly show that AC-MPA performs well in terms of its solution accuracy, convergence, and robustness. Furthermore, the proposed algorithm demonstrates considerable advantages in solving engineering problems, proving its effectiveness and adaptability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we introduce a novel optimization algorithm called the OX optimizer, inspired by oxen animals, which are characterized by their great strength. The OX optimizer is designed to address the challenges posed by complex, high-dimensional optimization problems. The design of the OX optimizer embodies a fundamental symmetry between global and local search processes. This symmetry ensures a balanced and effective exploration of the solution space, highlighting the algorithm's innovative contribution to the field of optimization. The OX optimizer has been evaluated on CEC2022 and CEC2017 IEEE competition benchmark functions. The results demonstrate the OX optimizer's superior performance in terms of convergence speed and solution quality compared to existing state-of-the-art algorithms. The algorithm's robustness and adaptability to various problem landscapes highlight its potential as a powerful tool for solving diverse optimization tasks. Detailed analysis of convergence curves, search history distributions, and sensitivity heatmaps further support these findings. Furthermore, the OX optimizer has been applied to optimize support vector machines (SVMs), emphasizing parameter selection and feature optimization. We tested it on the NSL-KDD dataset to evaluate its efficacy in an intrusion detection system. The results demonstrate that the OX optimizer significantly enhances SVM performance, facilitating effective exploration of the parameter space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The software requirement selection problem endeavors to ascertain the optimal set of software requirements with the dual objectives of minimizing software cost and maximizing customer satisfaction. The intricate nature of this problem stems from the interdependencies among individual software requirements, rendering it a complicated NP-hard problem. In this paper, we introduce a novel multi-objective optimization algorithm christened the Quantum -Inspired Multi-Objective African Vulture Optimization Algorithm with Hierarchical Structures (QMO_HSAVOA), where hierarchical structure and in-quantum computation ideas are introduced to improve the performance of the algorithm in QMO_HSAVOA. To gauge the efficacy of QMO_HSAVOA in tackling the software requirement selection problem, we empirically apply it to the problem, orchestrating three distinct simulation experiments. The ensuing evaluation of QMO_HSAVOA's performance is conducted with meticulous scrutiny through the application of Friedman's statistical test to the experimental outcomes. These results decisively demonstrate that the proposed QMO_HSAVOA not only delivers exceptionally competitive outcomes but also outshines alternative algorithms. This finding provision is an innovative and highly efficient solution for addressing the software requirement selection problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As science and technology advance, more engineering-type problems emerge. Technology development has likewise led to an increase in the complexity of optimization problems, and the need for new optimization techniques has increased. The swarm intelligence optimization algorithm is popular among researchers as a flexible, gradient-independent optimization method. The cuckoo search (CS) algorithm in the population intelligence algorithm has been widely used in various fields as a classical optimization algorithm. However, the current CS algorithm can no longer satisfy the performance requirements of the algorithm for current optimization problems. Therefore, in this paper, an improved CS algorithm based on a crossover optimizer (CC) and decentralized foraging (F) strategy is proposed to improve the search ability and the ability to jump out of the local optimum of the CS algorithm (CCFCS). Then, in order to verify the performance of the algorithm, this paper demonstrates the performance of CCFCS from six perspectives: core parameter setting, balance analysis of search and exploitation, the impact of introduced strategies, the impact of population dimension, and comparison with classical algorithms and similar improved algorithms. Finally, the optimization effect of CCFCS on real engineering problems is tested by five classic cases of engineering optimization. According to the experimental results, CCFCS has faster convergence and higher solution quality in the algorithm performance test andmaintains the same excellent performance in engineering applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research paper presents a new Latin hypercube sampling method, aimed at enhancing its performance in quantifying uncertainty and reducing computation time. The new Latin hypercube sampling (LHS) method serves as a tool in reliability-based design optimization (RBDO). The quantification technique is termed LHSMDF (LHS with maximum diversity factor). The quantification techniques, such as Latin hypercube sampling (LHS), optimum Latin hypercube sampling (OLHS), and Latin hypercube sampling with maximum diversity factor (LHSMDF), are tested against mechanical components, including a circular shaft housing, a connecting rod, and a cantilever beam, to evaluate its comparative performance. Subsequently, the new method is employed as the basis of RBDO in the synthesis of a six-bar high-lift mechanism (HLM) example to enhance the reliability of the resulting mechanism compared to Monte Carlo simulation (MCS). The design problem of this mechanism is classified as a motion generation problem, incorporating angle and position of the flap as an objective function. The six-bar linkage is first adapted to be a high-lift mechanism (HLM), which is a symmetrical device of the aircraft. Furthermore, a deterministic design, without consideration of uncertainty, may lead to unacceptable performance during the manufacturing step due to link length tolerances. The techniques are combined with an efficient metaheuristic known as teaching–learning-based optimization with a diversity archive (ATLBO-DA) to identify a reliable HLM. Performance testing of the new LHSMDF reveals that it outperforms the original LHS and OLHS. The HLM problem test results demonstrate that achieving optimum HLM with high reliability necessitates precision without sacrificing accuracy in the manufacturing process. Moreover, it is suggested that the six-bar HLM could emerge as a viable option for developing a new high-lift device in aircraft mechanisms for the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The teaching–learning-based optimization algorithm (TLBO) is an efficient optimizer. However, it has several shortcomings such as premature convergence and stagnation at local optima. In this paper, the strengthened teaching–learning-based optimization algorithm (STLBO) is proposed to enhance the basic TLBO's exploration and exploitation properties by introducing three strengthening mechanisms: the linear increasing teaching factor, the elite system composed of new teacher and class leader, and the Cauchy mutation. Subsequently, seven variants of STLBO are designed based on the combined deployment of the three improved mechanisms. Performance of the novel STLBOs is evaluated by implementing them on thirteen numerical optimization tasks, including the seven unimodal tasks (f1–f7) and six multimodal tasks (f8–f13). The results show that STLBO7 is at the top of the list, significantly better than the original TLBO. Moreover, the remaining six variants of STLBO also outperform TLBO. Finally, a set of comparisons are implemented between STLBO7 and other advanced optimization techniques, such as HS, PSO, MFO, GA and HHO. The numerical results and convergence curves prove that STLBO7 clearly outperforms other competitors, has stronger local optimal avoidance, faster convergence speed and higher solution accuracy. All the above manifests that STLBOs has improved the search performance of TLBO. Data Availability Statements: All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article (and its supplementary information files). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the advantages of the Two Degree of Freedom Proportional-Integral-Derivative (2DOF_PID) controller in tracking the reference signal and rejecting the disturbance signal at the same time. Three types of metaheuristic optimization algorithms are employed for tuning the controller's parameters which are Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), Genetic Algorithm (GA), and Dragonfly Algorithm (DA). These three algorithms have in common that they combine the exploratory concept (global search) and the exploitative concept (local search) in order to reach the optimal global solution. The effectiveness of these algorithms was taken advantage of to improve the performance of the control system that contains the controller. Second and third order plants were adopted for the purpose of testing, evaluating, and comparing the performance of the control system. This aim was accomplished by using each of the optimization algorithms for each plant. The simulation results showed the superiority of the DA in terms of obtaining the lowest value of the Integral Absolute Error (IAE) as the cost function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research paper presents a novel optimization method called the Synergistic Swarm Optimization Algorithm (SSOA). The SSOA combines the principles of swarmintelligence and synergistic cooperation to search for optimal solutions efficiently. A synergistic cooperation mechanism is employed, where particles exchange information and learn from each other to improve their search behaviors. This cooperation enhances the exploitation of promising regions in the search space while maintaining exploration capabilities. Furthermore, adaptive mechanisms, such as dynamic parameter adjustment and diversification strategies, are incorporated to balance exploration and exploitation. By leveraging the collaborative nature of swarm intelligence and integrating synergistic cooperation, the SSOAmethod aims to achieve superior convergence speed and solution quality performance compared to other optimization algorithms. The effectiveness of the proposed SSOA is investigated in solving the 23 benchmark functions and various engineering design problems. The experimental results highlight the effectiveness and potential of the SSOA method in addressing challenging optimization problems, making it a promising tool for a wide range of applications in engineering and beyond. Matlab codes of SSOA are available at: https://www. mathworks.com/matlabcentral/fileexchange/153466-synergistic-swarm-optimization-algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optimization is getting more and more important due to its application in real engineering problems. Recently, the vibrating particles system algorithm has been developed as an efficient method for mono-objective optimization. However, in multi- and many-objective design problems, the vibrating particles system method is unable to handle simultaneously the conflicting objectives. The second drawback of the vibrating particles system algorithm is the variability of the obtained results at each independent test, due to its inability to balance exploitation and exploration capabilities. To address these issues, this paper proposes an enhanced vibrating particles system algorithm called the many-objective vibrating particles system algorithm. The proposed many-objective vibrating particles system algorithm uses the Pareto principle to store the non-dominated solutions of multiple conflicting functions. Moreover, the implementation of the particle position enhancement mechanism to boost this algorithm’s exploitation and exploration capabilities is another distinctive aspect of the suggested method. A variety of high-dimensional test functions and engineering design problems are used to evaluate the efficiency of the manyobjective vibrating particles system algorithm. The obtained results show that the proposed algorithm outperforms other popular methods in terms of convergence characteristics and global search ability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Manta Ray Foraging Optimization Algorithm (MRFO) is a metaheuristic algorithm for solving real-world problems. However, MRFO suffers from slow convergence precision and is easily trapped in a local optimal. Hence, to overcome these deficiencies, this paper proposes an Improved MRFO algorithm (IMRFO) that employs Tent chaotic mapping, the bidirectional search strategy, and the Levy flight strategy. Among these strategies, Tent chaotic mapping distributes the manta ray more uniformly and improves the quality of the initial solution, while the bidirectional search strategy expands the search area. The Levy flight strategy strengthens the algorithm's ability to escape from local optimal. To verify IMRFO's performance, the algorithm is compared with 10 other algorithms on 23 benchmark functions, the CEC2017 and CEC2022 benchmark suites, and five engineering problems, with statistical analysis illustrating the superiority and significance of the difference between IMRFO and other algorithms. The results indicate that the IMRFO outperforms the competitor optimization algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Direct current motors are widely used in industry applications, and it has become necessary to carry out studies and experiments for their optimization. In this manuscript, a comparison between heuristic and metaheuristic algorithms is presented, specifically, the Steiglitz–McBride, Jaya, Genetic Algorithm (GA), and Grey Wolf Optimizer (GWO) algorithms. They were used to estimate the parameters of a dynamic model that approximates the actual responses of current and angular velocity of a DC motor. The inverse of the Euclidean distance between the current and velocity errors was defined as the fitness function for the metaheuristic algorithms. For a more comprehensive comparison between algorithms, other indicators such as mean squared error (MSE), standard deviation, computation time, and key points of the current and velocity responses were used. Simulations were performed with MATLAB/Simulink 2010 using the estimated parameters and compared to the experiments. The results showed that Steiglitz–McBride and GWO are better parametric estimators, performing better than Jaya and GA in real signals and nominal parameters. Indicators say that GWO is more accurate for parametric estimation, with an average MSE of 0.43%, but it requires a high computational cost. On the contrary, Steiglitz–McBride performed with an average MSE of 3.32% but required a much lower computational cost. The GWO presented an error of 1% in the dynamic response using the corresponding indicators. If a more accurate parametric estimation is required, it is recommended to use GWO; however, the heuristic algorithm performed better overall. The performance of the algorithms presented in this paper may change if different error functions are used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electric vehicles (EVs) are becoming more and more popular as they provide significant environmental benefits compared to fossil-fuel vehicles. However, they represent substantial loads on the power grid, and the scheduling of EV charging can be a challenge, especially in large parking lots. This paper presents a metaheuristic-based approach parallelized on multicore processors (CPU) and graphics processing units (GPU) to optimize the scheduling of EV charging in a single smart parking lot. The proposed method uses a particle swarm optimization algorithm that takes as input the arrival time, the departure time, and the power demand of the vehicles and produces an optimized charging schedule for all vehicles in the parking lot, which minimizes the overall charging cost while respecting the chargers' capacity and the parking lot feeder capacity. The algorithm exploits task-level parallelism for the multicore CPU implementation and data-level parallelism for the GPU implementation. The proposed algorithm is tested in simulation on parking lots containing 20 to 500 EVs. The parallel implementation on CPUs provides a speedup of 7.1x, while the implementation on a GPU provides a speedup of up to 247.6x. The parallel implementation on a GPU is able to optimize the charging schedule for a 20-EV parking lot in 0.87 s and a 500-EV lot in just under 30 s. These runtimes allow for real-time computation when a vehicle arrives at the parking lot or when the electricity cost profile changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inspired by real-life applications, mainly in hand-intensive manufacturing, the incorporation of learning effects into scheduling problems has garnered attention in recent years. This paper deals with the flowshop scheduling problem with a learning effect, when minimising the makespan. Four approaches to model the learning effect, well-known in the literature, are considered. Mathematical models are providing for each case. A solver allows us to find the optimal solution in small problem instances, while a Simulated Annealing algorithm is proposed to deal with large problem instances. In the latter, the initial solution is obtained using the well-known Nawaz-Enscore-Ham algorithm, and two local search operators are evaluated. Computational experiments are carried out using benchmark datasets from the literature. The Simulated Annealing algorithm shows a better result for learning approaches with fast learning effects as compared to slow learning effects. Finally, for industrial decision makers, some insights about how the learning effect model might affect the makespan minimisation flowshop scheduling problem are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a result of rapid industrialisation, rising food demand globally, and, increasing concerns associated with food safety and quality, the implementation of sustainable supply chain concepts is becoming critically important to the agro-food sector. This paper introduces an integrated first-mile pickup and last-mile delivery logistics problem, where agro-food grains are available at multiple farmer's locations and are in demand by businesses like e-retailers, supermarkets, grocery shops, restaurants, hotels, etc. In addition, this work addresses a sustainable framework for agro-food grains supply chain (AFGSC) in urban and rural areas for e-commerce in developing countries. The proposed optimisation model considers costs related to first-mile pickup, transportation with last-mile delivery, carbon emission tax, inventory holding, vehicle and food damage due to accidents, and penalties on late pickup and delivery. This model also takes environmental and social (due to accidents) sustainability aspects into consideration, along with the economic aspects of sustainability. To solve the large complex practical scenarios by using four nature-inspired algorithms. The obtained results of this study are used to recommend significant managerial insights for implementing AFGSC in the e-commerce industry in considering practical conditions. Moreover, policy implications in terms of economic, social, and environmental aspects of sustainability are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an overview of the history and recent efforts in combining chaos theory and evolutionary computation techniques. Various algorithms from the evolutionary computation domain, also known as metaheuristic algorithms, have been successfully enhanced with chaotic components in the past. Numerous ways to incorporate chaos have been examined, and many impressive results have been reported. Implementations of discrete chaotic maps such as Lozi, Hénon, and logistic map as generators of chaotic pseudo-random sequences for controlling evolution operators in metaheuristics have achieved significant popularity. In this survey, we focus on the research field itself and perform a bibliographical analysis to show how broad and active is nowadays the research field of chaos-enhanced metaheuristics and what are some of the most recent works published. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Combinational logic circuits (CLCs) are basic building blocks of a system and optimization of these circuits in terms of reduced gates, transistors, or levels will lead to reduced area on chip, reduced power, and improved speed. Simulated annealing (SA) is a thermo-inspired metaheuristic used for solving various engineering and non-engineering problems. SA is also used for the realization and optimization of CLCs. Circuits with a large number of inputs and outputs require more generations for realization. Realization of the optimal circuit with fewer generations is desired as realization time increases with increase in the number of generations. In this paper, an attempt is made to realize circuits using population-based SA with fewer generations. SA with partitioning approach is proposed in this paper for circuits that could not be realized with fewer preset generations. To evaluate the performance of the proposed work, benchmark circuits from LGSynth'91 are considered, and it is observed that the success rate improved and realization time reduced with the proposed partitioning approach. During the evaluation, it is also observed that the gate count was reduced by 2.5–77.39% and the transistor count was reduced by 7.69–95.53% on using proposed work with fewer generations over circuits reported in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]