Metaheuristic design of feedforward neural networks: a review of two decades of research

Over the past two decades, the feedforward neural network (FNN) optimization has been a key interest among the researchers and practitioners of multiple disciplines. The FNN optimization is often viewed from the various perspectives: the optimization of weights, network architecture, activation nodes, learning parameters, learning environment, etc. Researchers adopted such different viewpoints mainly to improve the FNN's generalization ability. The gradient-descent algorithm such as backpropagation has been widely applied to optimize the FNNs. Its success is evident from the FNN's application to numerous real-world problems. However, due to the limitations of the gradient-based optimization methods, the metaheuristic algorithms including the evolutionary algorithms, swarm intelligence, etc., are still being widely explored by the researchers aiming to obtain generalized FNN for a given problem. This article attempts to summarize a broad spectrum of FNN optimization methodologies including conventional and metaheuristic approaches. This article also tries to connect various research directions emerged out of the FNN optimization practices, such as evolving neural network (NN), cooperative coevolution NN, complex-valued NN, deep learning, extreme learning machine, quantum NN, etc. Additionally, it provides interesting research challenges for future research to cope-up with the present information processing era

Meta-heuristic algorithms in car engine design: a literature survey

Meta-heuristic algorithms are often inspired by natural phenomena, including the evolution of species in Darwinian natural selection theory, ant behaviors in biology, flock behaviors of some birds, and annealing in metallurgy. Due to their great potential in solving difficult optimization problems, meta-heuristic algorithms have found their way into automobile engine design. There are different optimization problems arising in different areas of car engine management including calibration, control system, fault diagnosis, and modeling. In this paper we review the state-of-the-art applications of different meta-heuristic algorithms in engine management systems. The review covers a wide range of research, including the application of meta-heuristic algorithms in engine calibration, optimizing engine control systems, engine fault diagnosis, and optimizing different parts of engines and modeling. The meta-heuristic algorithms reviewed in this paper include evolutionary algorithms, evolution strategy, evolutionary programming, genetic programming, differential evolution, estimation of distribution algorithm, ant colony optimization, particle swarm optimization, memetic algorithms, and artificial immune system

A convergence acceleration operator for multiobjective optimisation

A novel multiobjective optimisation accelerator is introduced that uses direct manipulation in objective space together with neural network mappings from objective space to decision space. This operator is a portable component that can be hybridized with any multiobjective optimisation algorithm. The purpose of this Convergence Acceleration Operator (CAO) is to enhance the search capability and the speed of convergence of the host algorithm. The operator acts directly in objective space to suggest improvements to solutions obtained by a multiobjective evolutionary algorithm (MOEA). These suggested improved objective vectors are then mapped into decision variable space and tested. The CAO is incorporated with two leading MOEAs, the Non-Dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm (NSGA-II) and the Strength Pareto Evolutionary Algorithm (SPEA2) and tested. Results show that the hybridized algorithms consistently improve the speed of convergence of the original algorithm whilst maintaining the desired distribution of solutions

Evolutionary Multiobjective Optimization Driven by Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs)

Recently, increasing works have proposed to drive evolutionary algorithms using machine learning models. Usually, the performance of such model based evolutionary algorithms is highly dependent on the training qualities of the adopted models. Since it usually requires a certain amount of data (i.e. the candidate solutions generated by the algorithms) for model training, the performance deteriorates rapidly with the increase of the problem scales, due to the curse of dimensionality. To address this issue, we propose a multi-objective evolutionary algorithm driven by the generative adversarial networks (GANs). At each generation of the proposed algorithm, the parent solutions are first classified into real and fake samples to train the GANs; then the offspring solutions are sampled by the trained GANs. Thanks to the powerful generative ability of the GANs, our proposed algorithm is capable of generating promising offspring solutions in high-dimensional decision space with limited training data. The proposed algorithm is tested on 10 benchmark problems with up to 200 decision variables. Experimental results on these test problems demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm

Multiobjective synchronization of coupled systems

Copyright @ 2011 American Institute of PhysicsSynchronization of coupled chaotic systems has been a subject of great interest and importance, in theory but also various fields of application, such as secure communication and neuroscience. Recently, based on stability theory, synchronization of coupled chaotic systems by designing appropriate coupling has been widely investigated. However, almost all the available results have been focusing on ensuring the synchronization of coupled chaotic systems with as small coupling strengths as possible. In this contribution, we study multiobjective synchronization of coupled chaotic systems by considering two objectives in parallel, i. e., minimizing optimization of coupling strength and convergence speed. The coupling form and coupling strength are optimized by an improved multiobjective evolutionary approach. The constraints on the coupling form are also investigated by formulating the problem into a multiobjective constraint problem. We find that the proposed evolutionary method can outperform conventional adaptive strategy in several respects. The results presented in this paper can be extended into nonlinear time-series analysis, synchronization of complex networks and have various applications

Increasing the density of available pareto optimal solutions

The set of available multi-objective optimization algorithms continues to grow. This fact can be partially attributed to their widespread use and applicability. However this increase also suggests several issues remain to be addressed satisfactorily. One such issue is the diversity and the number of solutions available to the decision maker (DM). Even for algorithms very well suited for a particular problem, it is difficult - mainly due to the computational cost - to use a population large enough to ensure the likelihood of obtaining a solution close to the DMs preferences. In this paper we present a novel methodology that produces additional Pareto optimal solutions from a Pareto optimal set obtained at the end run of any multi-objective optimization algorithm. This method, which we refer to as Pareto estimation, is tested against a set of 2 and 3-objective test problems and a 3-objective portfolio optimization problem to illustrate its’ utility for a real-world problem

Modeling and Optimization of M-cresol Isopropylation for Obtaining N-thymol: Combining a Hybrid Artificial Neural Network with a Genetic Algorithm

The application of a hybrid framework based on the combination, artificial neural network-genetic algorithm (ANN-GA), for n-thymol synthesis modeling and optimization has been developed. The effects of molar ratio propylene/cresol (X1), catalyst mass (X2) and temperature (X3) on n-thymol selectivity Y1 and m-cresol conversion Y2 were studied. A 3-8-2 ANN model was found to be very suitable for reaction modeling. The multiobjective optimization, led to optimal operating conditions (0.55 ≤X1≤0.77; 1.773 g ≤ X2 ≤1.86 g; 289.74 °C ≤ X3 ≤291.33 °C) representing good solutions for obtaining high n-thymol selectivity and high m-cresol conversion. This optimal zone corresponded to n-thymol selectivity and m-cresol conversion ranging respectively in the interval [79.3; 79.5]% and [13.4 %; 23.7]%. These results were better than those obtained with a sequential method based on experimental design for which, optimum conditions led to n-thymol selectivity and m-cresol conversion values respectively equal to 67%and 11%. The hybrid method ANN-GA showed its ability to solve complex problems with a good fitting