Communities of Minima in Local Optima Networks of Combinatorial Spaces

In this work we present a new methodology to study the structure of the configuration spaces of hard combinatorial problems. It consists in building the network that has as nodes the locally optimal configurations and as edges the weighted oriented transitions between their basins of attraction. We apply the approach to the detection of communities in the optima networks produced by two different classes of instances of a hard combinatorial optimization problem: the quadratic assignment problem (QAP). We provide evidence indicating that the two problem instance classes give rise to very different configuration spaces. For the so-called real-like class, the networks possess a clear modular structure, while the optima networks belonging to the class of random uniform instances are less well partitionable into clusters. This is convincingly supported by using several statistical tests. Finally, we shortly discuss the consequences of the findings for heuristically searching the corresponding problem spaces

Clustering of Local Optima in Combinatorial Fitness Landscapes

Using the recently proposed model of combinatorial landscapes: local optima networks, we study the distribution of local optima in two classes of instances of the quadratic assignment problem. Our results indicate that the two problem instance classes give rise to very different configuration spaces. For the so-called real-like class, the optima networks possess a clear modular structure, while the networks belonging to the class of random uniform instances are less well partitionable into clusters. We briefly discuss the consequences of the findings for heuristically searching the corresponding problem spaces.Comment: Learning and Intelligent OptimizatioN Conference (LION 5), Rome : Italy (2011

Additional Dimensions to the Study of Funnels in Combinatorial Landscapes

The global structure of travelling salesman's fitness landscapes has recently revealed the presence of multiple `funnels'. This implies that local optima are organised into several clusters, so that a particular local optimum largely belongs to a particular funnel. Such a global structure can increase search difficulty, especially, when the global optimum is located in a deep, narrow funnel. Our study brings more precision (and dimensions) to the notion of funnels with a data-driven approach using Local Optima Networks and the Chained Lin-Kernighan heuristic. We start by exploring the funnel 'floors', characterising them using the notion of communities from complex networks. We then analyse the more complex funnel 'basins'. Since their depth is relevant to search, we visualise them in 3D. Our study, across a set of TSP instances, reveals a multi-funnel structure in most of them. However, the specific topology varies across instances and relates to search difficulty. Finally, including a stronger perturbation into Chained Lin-Kernighan proved to smooth the funnel structure, reducing the number of funnels and enlarging the valley leading to global optima

Understanding Phase Transitions with Local Optima Networks: Number Partitioning as a Case Study

Phase transitions play an important role in understanding search difficulty in combinatorial optimisation. However, previous attempts have not revealed a clear link between fitness landscape properties and the phase transition. We explore whether the global landscape structure of the number partitioning problem changes with the phase transition. Using the local optima network model, we analyse a number of instances before, during, and after the phase transition. We compute relevant network and neutrality metrics; and importantly, identify and visualise the funnel structure with an approach (monotonic sequences) inspired by theoretical chemistry. While most metrics remain oblivious to the phase transition, our results reveal that the funnel structure clearly changes. Easy instances feature a single or a small number of dominant funnels leading to global optima; hard instances have a large number of suboptimal funnels attracting the search. Our study brings new insights and tools to the study of phase transitions in combinatorial optimisation

Comparing Communities of Optima with Funnels in Combinatorial Fitness Landscapes

The existence of sub-optimal funnels in combinatorial fitness landscapes has been linked to search difficulty. The exact nature of these structures — and how commonly they appear — is not yet fully understood. Improving our understanding of funnels could help with designing effective diversification mechanisms for a ‘smoothing’ effect, making optimisation easier. We model fitness landscapes as local optima networks. The relationship between communities of local optima found by network clustering algorithms and funnels is explored. Funnels are identified using the notion of monotonic sequences from the study of energy landscapes in theoretical chemistry. NK Landscapes and the Quadratic Assignment Problem are used as case studies. Our results show that communities are linked to funnels. The analysis exhibits relationships between these landscape structures and the performance of trajectory-based metaheuristics such as Simulated Annealing (SA) and Iterated Local Search (ILS). In particular, ILS gets trapped in funnels, and modular communities of optima slow it down. The funnels contribute to lower success for SA. We show that increasing the strength of ILS perturbation helps to ‘smooth’ the funnels and improves performance in multi-funnel landscapes.Authors listed as ECOM Trac

The Effect of Landscape Funnels in QAPLIB Instances

The effectiveness of common metaheuristics on combinatorial optimisation problems can be limited by certain characteristics of the fitness landscape. We use the local optima network model to compress the ‘inherent structure’ of a problem space into a network whose structure relates to the empirical hardness of the underlying landscape. Monotonic sequences are used on the local optima networks of a benchmark set of QAP instances (QAPLIB) to expose landscape funnels. The results suggest links between features of these structures and lowered metaheuristic performance

Local Optima Networks, Landscape Autocorrelation and Heuristic Search Performance

Chicano, F., Daolio F., Ochoa G., Vérel S., Tomassini M., & Alba E. (2012). Local Optima Networks, Landscape Autocorrelation and Heuristic Search Performance. (Coello, C. A. Coello, Cutello V., Deb K., Forrest S., Nicosia G., & Pavone M., Ed.).Parallel Problem Solving from Nature - PPSN XII - 12th International Conference, Taormina, Italy, September 1-5, 2012, Proceedings, Part II. 337–347.Recent developments in fitness landscape analysis include the study of Local Optima Networks (LON) and applications of the Elementary Landscapes theory. This paper represents a first step at combining these two tools to explore their ability to forecast the performance of search algorithms. We base our analysis on the Quadratic Assignment Problem (QAP) and conduct a large statistical study over 600 generated instances of different types. Our results reveal interesting links between the network measures, the autocorrelation measures and the performance of heuristic search algorithms.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech. Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation and FEDER under contract TIN2011-28194. Andalusian Government under contract P07-TIC-03044. Swiss National Science Foundation for financial support under grant number 200021-124578

Coarse-Grained Barrier Trees of Fitness Landscapes

Recent literature suggests that local optima in fitness landscapes are clustered, which offers an explanation of why perturbation-based metaheuristics often fail to find the global optimum: they become trapped in a sub-optimal cluster. We introduce a method to extract and visualize the global organization of these clusters in form of a barrier tree. Barrier trees have been used to visualize the barriers between local optima basins in fitness landscapes. Our method computes a more coarsely grained tree to reveal the barriers between clusters of local optima. The core element is a new variant of the flooding algorithm, applicable to local optima networks, a compressed representation of fitness landscapes. To identify the clusters, we apply a community detection algorithm. A sample of 200 NK fitness landscapes suggests that the depth of their coarse-grained barrier tree is related to their search difficulty

Communities of Local Optima as Funnels in Fitness Landscapes

We conduct an analysis of local optima networks extracted from fitness landscapes of the Kauffman NK model under iterated local search. Applying the Markov Cluster Algorithm for community detection to the local optima networks, we find that the landscapes consist of multiple clusters. This result complements recent findings in the literature that landscapes often decompose into multiple funnels, which increases their difficulty for iterated local search. Our results suggest that the number of clusters as well as the size of the cluster in which the global optimum is located are correlated to the search difficulty of landscapes. We conclude that clusters found by community detection in local optima networks offer a new way to characterize the multi-funnel structure of fitness landscapes

Visualising the Global Structure of Search Landscapes: Genetic Improvement as a Case Study

The search landscape is a common metaphor to describe the structure of computational search spaces. Different landscape metrics can be computed and used to predict search difficulty. Yet, the metaphor falls short in visualisation terms because it is hard to represent complex landscapes, both in terms of size and dimensionality. This paper combines Local Optima Networks, as a compact representation of the global structure of a search space, and dimensionality reduction, using the t-Distributed Stochastic Neighbour Embedding (t-SNE) algorithm, in order to both bring the metaphor to life and convey new insight into the search process. As a case study, two benchmark programs, under a Genetic Improvement bug-fixing scenario, are analysed and visualised using the proposed method. Local Optima Networks for both iterated local search and a hybrid genetic algorithm, across different neighbourhoods, are compared, highlighting the differences in how the landscape is explored