Ant Colony Optimization for Multi-objective Digital Convergent Product Network

Convergent product is an assembly shape concept integrating functions and sub-functions to form a final product. To conceptualize the convergent product problem, a web-based network is considered in which a collection of base functions and sub-functions configure the nodes and each arc in the network is considered to be a link between two nodes. The aim is to find an optimal tree of functionalities in the network adding value to the product in the web environment. First, an algorithm is proposed to assign the links among bases and sub-functions. Then, numerical values as benefits and costs are determined for arcs and nodes, respectively, using a mathematical approach. Also, customer’s value corresponding to the benefits is considered. Finally, the Steiner tree methodology is adapted to a multi-objective model optimized by an ant colony optimization method. The approach is applicable for all digital products, such as mobile, tablet, laptop, etc. An example is worked out to illustrate the proposed approach

QoS multicast tree construction in IP/DWDM optical internet by bio-inspired algorithms

Copyright @ Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.In this paper, two bio-inspired Quality of Service (QoS) multicast algorithms are proposed in IP over dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) optical Internet. Given a QoS multicast request and the delay interval required by the application, both algorithms are able to find a flexible QoS-based cost suboptimal routing tree. They first construct the multicast trees based on ant colony optimization and artificial immune algorithm, respectively. Then a dedicated wavelength assignment algorithm is proposed to assign wavelengths to the trees aiming to minimize the delay of the wavelength conversion. In both algorithms, multicast routing and wavelength assignment are integrated into a single process. Therefore, they can find the multicast trees on which the least wavelength conversion delay is achieved. Load balance is also considered in both algorithms. Simulation results show that these two bio-inspired algorithms can construct high performance QoS routing trees for multicast applications in IP/DWDM optical Internet.This work was supported in part ny the Program for New Century Excellent Talents in University, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) of UK under Grant EP/E060722/1, the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant no. 60673159 and 70671020, the National High-Tech Reasearch and Development Plan of China under Grant no. 2007AA041201, and the Specialized Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education under Grant no. 20070145017

Bi-velocity discrete particle swarm optimization and its application to multicast routing problem in communication networks

This paper proposes a novel bi-velocity discrete particle swarm optimization (BVDPSO) approach and extends its application to the NP-complete multicast routing problem (MRP). The main contribution is the extension of PSO from continuous domain to the binary or discrete domain. Firstly, a novel bi-velocity strategy is developed to represent possibilities of each dimension being 1 and 0. This strategy is suitable to describe the binary characteristic of the MRP where 1 stands for a node being selected to construct the multicast tree while 0 stands for being otherwise. Secondly, BVDPSO updates the velocity and position according to the learning mechanism of the original PSO in continuous domain. This maintains the fast convergence speed and global search ability of the original PSO. Experiments are comprehensively conducted on all of the 58 instances with small, medium, and large scales in the OR-library (Operation Research Library). The results confirm that BVDPSO can obtain optimal or near-optimal solutions rapidly as it only needs to generate a few multicast trees. BVDPSO outperforms not only several state-of-the-art and recent heuristic algorithms for the MRP problems, but also algorithms based on GA, ACO, and PSO

Using ant colony optimization for routing in microprocesors

Power consumption is an important constraint on VLSI systems. With the advancement in technology, it is now possible to pack a large range of functionalities into VLSI devices. Hence it is important to find out ways to utilize these functionalities with optimized power consumption. This work focuses on curbing power consumption at the design stage. This work emphasizes minimizing active power consumption by minimizing the load capacitance of the chip. Capacitance of wires and vias can be minimized using Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) algorithms. ACO provides a multi agent framework for combinatorial optimization problems and hence is used to handle multiple constraints of minimizing wire-length and vias to achieve the goal of minimizing capacitance and hence power consumption. The ACO developed here is able to achieve an 8% reduction of wire-length and 7% reduction in vias thereby providing a 7% reduction in total capacitance, compared to other state of the art routers

Image Segmentation using Various Approaches

This paper addresses the issue of image segmentation. Image segmentation process is the main basic process or technique used in various image processing problem domains, for example, content based image retrieval; pattern recognition; object recognition; face recognition; medical image processing; fault detection in product industries; etc. Scope of improvement exists in the following areas: Image partitioning; color based feature; texture based feature, searching mechanism for similarity; cluster formation logic; pixel connectivity criterion; intelligent decision making for clustering; processing time; etc. This paper presents the image segmentation mechanism which addresses few of the identified areas where the scope of contribution exists. Presented work basically deals with the development of the mechanism which is divided into three parts first part focuses on the color based image segmentation using k-means clustering methodology. Second part deals with region properties based segmentation. Later, deals with the boundary based segmentation. In all these three approaches, finally the Steiner tree is created to identify the class of the region. For this purpose the Euclidean distance is used. Experimental result justifies the application of the developed mechanism for the image segmentation

The tabu ant colony optimizer and its application in an energy market

A new ant colony optimizer, the \u27tabu ant colony optimizer\u27 (TabuACO) is introduced, tested, and applied to a contemporary problem. The TabuACO uses both attractive and repulsive pheromones to speed convergence to a solution. The dual pheromone TabuACO is benchmarked against several other solvers using the traveling salesman problem (TSP), the quadratic assignment problem (QAP), and the Steiner tree problem. In tree-shaped puzzles, the dual pheromone TabuACO was able to demonstrate a significant improvement in performance over a conventional ACO. As the amount of connectedness in the network increased, the dual pheromone TabuACO offered less improvement in performance over the conventional ACO until it was applied to fully-interconnected mesh-shaped puzzles, where it offered no improvement. The TabuACO is then applied to implement a transactive energy market and tested with published circuit models from IEEE and EPRI. In the IEEE feeder model, the application was able to limit the sale of power through an overloaded transformer and compensate by bringing downstream power online to relieve it. In the EPRI feeder model, rapid voltage changes due to clouds passing over PV arrays caused the PV contribution to outstrip the ability of the substation to compensate. The TabuACO application was able to find a manageable limit to the photovoltaic energy that could be contributed on a cloudy day --Abstract, page iii