Fast micro-differential evolution for topological active net optimization

This paper studies the optimization problem of topological active net (TAN), which is often seen in image segmentation and shape modeling. A TAN is a topological structure containing many nodes, whose positions must be optimized while a predefined topology needs to be maintained. TAN optimization is often time-consuming and even constructing a single solution is hard to do. Such a problem is usually approached by a ``best improvement local search'' (BILS) algorithm based on deterministic search (DS), which is inefficient because it spends too much efforts in nonpromising probing. In this paper, we propose the use of micro-differential evolution (DE) to replace DS in BILS for improved directional guidance. The resultant algorithm is termed deBILS. Its micro-population efficiently utilizes historical information for potentially promising search directions and hence improves efficiency in probing. Results show that deBILS can probe promising neighborhoods for each node of a TAN. Experimental tests verify that deBILS offers substantially higher search speed and solution quality not only than ordinary BILS, but also the genetic algorithm and scatter search algorithm

Multimodal estimation of distribution algorithms

Taking the advantage of estimation of distribution algorithms (EDAs) in preserving high diversity, this paper proposes a multimodal EDA. Integrated with clustering strategies for crowding and speciation, two versions of this algorithm are developed, which operate at the niche level. Then these two algorithms are equipped with three distinctive techniques: 1) a dynamic cluster sizing strategy; 2) an alternative utilization of Gaussian and Cauchy distributions to generate offspring; and 3) an adaptive local search. The dynamic cluster sizing affords a potential balance between exploration and exploitation and reduces the sensitivity to the cluster size in the niching methods. Taking advantages of Gaussian and Cauchy distributions, we generate the offspring at the niche level through alternatively using these two distributions. Such utilization can also potentially offer a balance between exploration and exploitation. Further, solution accuracy is enhanced through a new local search scheme probabilistically conducted around seeds of niches with probabilities determined self-adaptively according to fitness values of these seeds. Extensive experiments conducted on 20 benchmark multimodal problems confirm that both algorithms can achieve competitive performance compared with several state-of-the-art multimodal algorithms, which is supported by nonparametric tests. Especially, the proposed algorithms are very promising for complex problems with many local optima

An Improved Differential Evolution Algorithm for Maritime Collision Avoidance Route Planning

High accuracy navigation and surveillance systems are pivotal to ensure efficient ship route planning and marine safety. Based on existing ship navigation and maritime collision prevention rules, an improved approach for collision avoidance route planning using a differential evolution algorithm was developed. Simulation results show that the algorithm is capable of significantly enhancing the optimized route over current methods. It has the potential to be used as a tool to generate optimal vessel routing in the presence of conflicts

Differential evolution with an evolution path: a DEEP evolutionary algorithm

Utilizing cumulative correlation information already existing in an evolutionary process, this paper proposes a predictive approach to the reproduction mechanism of new individuals for differential evolution (DE) algorithms. DE uses a distributed model (DM) to generate new individuals, which is relatively explorative, whilst evolution strategy (ES) uses a centralized model (CM) to generate offspring, which through adaptation retains a convergence momentum. This paper adopts a key feature in the CM of a covariance matrix adaptation ES, the cumulatively learned evolution path (EP), to formulate a new evolutionary algorithm (EA) framework, termed DEEP, standing for DE with an EP. Without mechanistically combining two CM and DM based algorithms together, the DEEP framework offers advantages of both a DM and a CM and hence substantially enhances performance. Under this architecture, a self-adaptation mechanism can be built inherently in a DEEP algorithm, easing the task of predetermining algorithm control parameters. Two DEEP variants are developed and illustrated in the paper. Experiments on the CEC'13 test suites and two practical problems demonstrate that the DEEP algorithms offer promising results, compared with the original DEs and other relevant state-of-the-art EAs

Computationally-efficient stochastic cluster dynamics method for modeling damage accumulation in irradiated materials

An improved version of a recently developed stochastic cluster dynamics (SCD) method {[}Marian, J. and Bulatov, V. V., {\it J. Nucl. Mater.} \textbf{415} (2014) 84-95{]} is introduced as an alternative to rate theory (RT) methods for solving coupled ordinary differential equation (ODE) systems for irradiation damage simulations. SCD circumvents by design the curse of dimensionality of the variable space that renders traditional ODE-based RT approaches inefficient when handling complex defect population comprised of multiple (more than two) defect species. Several improvements introduced here enable efficient and accurate simulations of irradiated materials up to realistic (high) damage doses characteristic of next-generation nuclear systems. The first improvement is a procedure for efficiently updating the defect reaction-network and event selection in the context of a dynamically expanding reaction-network. Next is a novel implementation of the $\tau$-leaping method that speeds up SCD simulations by advancing the state of the reaction network in large time increments when appropriate. Lastly, a volume rescaling procedure is introduced to control the computational complexity of the expanding reaction-network through occasional reductions of the defect population while maintaining accurate statistics. The enhanced SCD method is then applied to model defect cluster accumulation in iron thin films subjected to triple ion-beam ($\text{Fe}^{3+}$, $\text{He}^{+}$ and $$\text{H\ensuremath{{}^{+}}}$$) irradiations, for which standard RT or spatially-resolved kinetic Monte Carlo simulations are prohibitively expensive