ND-Tree-based update: a Fast Algorithm for the Dynamic Non-Dominance Problem

In this paper we propose a new method called ND-Tree-based update (or shortly ND-Tree) for the dynamic non-dominance problem, i.e. the problem of online update of a Pareto archive composed of mutually non-dominated points. It uses a new ND-Tree data structure in which each node represents a subset of points contained in a hyperrectangle defined by its local approximate ideal and nadir points. By building subsets containing points located close in the objective space and using basic properties of the local ideal and nadir points we can efficiently avoid searching many branches in the tree. ND-Tree may be used in multiobjective evolutionary algorithms and other multiobjective metaheuristics to update an archive of potentially non-dominated points. We prove that the proposed algorithm has sub-linear time complexity under mild assumptions. We experimentally compare ND-Tree to the simple list, Quad-tree, and M-Front methods using artificial and realistic benchmarks with up to 10 objectives and show that with this new method substantial reduction of the number of point comparisons and computational time can be obtained. Furthermore, we apply the method to the non-dominated sorting problem showing that it is highly competitive to some recently proposed algorithms dedicated to this problem.Comment: 15 pages, 21 figures, 3 table

A novel multi-objective evolutionary algorithm based on space partitioning

To design an e ective multi-objective optimization evolutionary algorithms (MOEA), we need to address the following issues: 1) the sensitivity to the shape of true Pareto front (PF) on decomposition-based MOEAs; 2) the loss of diversity due to paying so much attention to the convergence on domination-based MOEAs; 3) the curse of dimensionality for many-objective optimization problems on grid-based MOEAs. This paper proposes an MOEA based on space partitioning (MOEA-SP) to address the above issues. In MOEA-SP, subspaces, partitioned by a k-dimensional tree (kd-tree), are sorted according to a bi-indicator criterion de ned in this paper. Subspace-oriented and Max-Min selection methods are introduced to increase selection pressure and maintain diversity, respectively. Experimental studies show that MOEA-SP outperforms several compared algorithms on a set of benchmarks

Hybridizing Non-dominated Sorting Algorithms: Divide-and-Conquer Meets Best Order Sort

Many production-grade algorithms benefit from combining an asymptotically efficient algorithm for solving big problem instances, by splitting them into smaller ones, and an asymptotically inefficient algorithm with a very small implementation constant for solving small subproblems. A well-known example is stable sorting, where mergesort is often combined with insertion sort to achieve a constant but noticeable speed-up. We apply this idea to non-dominated sorting. Namely, we combine the divide-and-conquer algorithm, which has the currently best known asymptotic runtime of $O(N (\log N)^{M - 1})$, with the Best Order Sort algorithm, which has the runtime of $O(N^2 M)$ but demonstrates the best practical performance out of quadratic algorithms. Empirical evaluation shows that the hybrid's running time is typically not worse than of both original algorithms, while for large numbers of points it outperforms them by at least 20%. For smaller numbers of objectives, the speedup can be as large as four times.Comment: A two-page abstract of this paper will appear in the proceedings companion of the 2017 Genetic and Evolutionary Computation Conference (GECCO 2017

The Hybridization of Branch and Bound with Metaheuristics for Nonconvex Multiobjective Optimization

A hybrid framework combining the branch and bound method with multiobjective evolutionary algorithms is proposed for nonconvex multiobjective optimization. The hybridization exploits the complementary character of the two optimization strategies. A multiobjective evolutionary algorithm is intended for inducing tight lower and upper bounds during the branch and bound procedure. Tight bounds such as the ones derived in this way can reduce the number of subproblems that have to be solved. The branch and bound method guarantees the global convergence of the framework and improves the search capability of the multiobjective evolutionary algorithm. An implementation of the hybrid framework considering NSGA-II and MOEA/D-DE as multiobjective evolutionary algorithms is presented. Numerical experiments verify the hybrid algorithms benefit from synergy of the branch and bound method and multiobjective evolutionary algorithms

Multi-Objective Particle Swarm Optimisation Methods

Copyright © 2004 University of ExeterThis study compares a number of selection regimes for the choosing of global best (gbest) and personal best (pbest) for swarm members in multi-objective particle swarm optimisation (MOPSO). Two distinct gbest selection techniques are shown to exist in the literature, those that do not restrict the selection of archive members and those with `distance' based gbest selection techniques. Theoretical justification for both of these approaches is discussed, in terms of the two types of search that these methods promote, and the potential problem of particle clumping in MOPSO is described. The popular pbest selection methods in the literature are also compared, and the ffect of the recently introduced turbulence term is viewed in terms of the additional search it promotes, across all parameter combinations. In light of the discussion, new avenues of MOPSO research are highlighted.Department of Computer Science, University of Exete