A Reinforcement Learning-assisted Genetic Programming Algorithm for Team Formation Problem Considering Person-Job Matching

An efficient team is essential for the company to successfully complete new projects. To solve the team formation problem considering person-job matching (TFP-PJM), a 0-1 integer programming model is constructed, which considers both person-job matching and team members' willingness to communicate on team efficiency, with the person-job matching score calculated using intuitionistic fuzzy numbers. Then, a reinforcement learning-assisted genetic programming algorithm (RL-GP) is proposed to enhance the quality of solutions. The RL-GP adopts the ensemble population strategies. Before the population evolution at each generation, the agent selects one from four population search modes according to the information obtained, thus realizing a sound balance of exploration and exploitation. In addition, surrogate models are used in the algorithm to evaluate the formation plans generated by individuals, which speeds up the algorithm learning process. Afterward, a series of comparison experiments are conducted to verify the overall performance of RL-GP and the effectiveness of the improved strategies within the algorithm. The hyper-heuristic rules obtained through efficient learning can be utilized as decision-making aids when forming project teams. This study reveals the advantages of reinforcement learning methods, ensemble strategies, and the surrogate model applied to the GP framework. The diversity and intelligent selection of search patterns along with fast adaptation evaluation, are distinct features that enable RL-GP to be deployed in real-world enterprise environments.Comment: 16 page

Numerical and Evolutionary Optimization 2020

This book was established after the 8th International Workshop on Numerical and Evolutionary Optimization (NEO), representing a collection of papers on the intersection of the two research areas covered at this workshop: numerical optimization and evolutionary search techniques. While focusing on the design of fast and reliable methods lying across these two paradigms, the resulting techniques are strongly applicable to a broad class of real-world problems, such as pattern recognition, routing, energy, lines of production, prediction, and modeling, among others. This volume is intended to serve as a useful reference for mathematicians, engineers, and computer scientists to explore current issues and solutions emerging from these mathematical and computational methods and their applications

Machine learning into metaheuristics: A survey and taxonomy of data-driven metaheuristics

During the last years, research in applying machine learning (ML) to design efficient, effective and robust metaheuristics became increasingly popular. Many of those data driven metaheuristics have generated high quality results and represent state-of-the-art optimization algorithms. Although various appproaches have been proposed, there is a lack of a comprehensive survey and taxonomy on this research topic. In this paper we will investigate different opportunities for using ML into metaheuristics. We define uniformly the various ways synergies which might be achieved. A detailed taxonomy is proposed according to the concerned search component: target optimization problem, low-level and high-level components of metaheuristics. Our goal is also to motivate researchers in optimization to include ideas from ML into metaheuristics. We identify some open research issues in this topic which needs further in-depth investigations

Advances in Evolutionary Algorithms

With the recent trends towards massive data sets and significant computational power, combined with evolutionary algorithmic advances evolutionary computation is becoming much more relevant to practice. Aim of the book is to present recent improvements, innovative ideas and concepts in a part of a huge EA field

Evolutionary Computation

This book presents several recent advances on Evolutionary Computation, specially evolution-based optimization methods and hybrid algorithms for several applications, from optimization and learning to pattern recognition and bioinformatics. This book also presents new algorithms based on several analogies and metafores, where one of them is based on philosophy, specifically on the philosophy of praxis and dialectics. In this book it is also presented interesting applications on bioinformatics, specially the use of particle swarms to discover gene expression patterns in DNA microarrays. Therefore, this book features representative work on the field of evolutionary computation and applied sciences. The intended audience is graduate, undergraduate, researchers, and anyone who wishes to become familiar with the latest research work on this field

Seeking multiple solutions:an updated survey on niching methods and their applications

Multi-Modal Optimization (MMO) aiming to locate multiple optimal (or near-optimal) solutions in a single simulation run has practical relevance to problem solving across many fields. Population-based meta-heuristics have been shown particularly effective in solving MMO problems, if equipped with specificallydesigned diversity-preserving mechanisms, commonly known as niching methods. This paper provides an updated survey on niching methods. The paper first revisits the fundamental concepts about niching and its most representative schemes, then reviews the most recent development of niching methods, including novel and hybrid methods, performance measures, and benchmarks for their assessment. Furthermore, the paper surveys previous attempts at leveraging the capabilities of niching to facilitate various optimization tasks (e.g., multi-objective and dynamic optimization) and machine learning tasks (e.g., clustering, feature selection, and learning ensembles). A list of successful applications of niching methods to real-world problems is presented to demonstrate the capabilities of niching methods in providing solutions that are difficult for other optimization methods to offer. The significant practical value of niching methods is clearly exemplified through these applications. Finally, the paper poses challenges and research questions on niching that are yet to be appropriately addressed. Providing answers to these questions is crucial before we can bring more fruitful benefits of niching to real-world problem solving

On Design Mining: Coevolution and Surrogate Models

© 2017 Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Published under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0) license. Design mining is the use of computational intelligence techniques to iteratively search and model the attribute space of physical objects evaluated directly through rapid prototyping to meet given objectives. It enables the exploitation of novel materials and processes without formal models or complex simulation. In this article, we focus upon the coevolutionary nature of the design process when it is decomposed into concurrent sub-design-threads due to the overall complexity of the task. Using an abstract, tunable model of coevolution, we consider strategies to sample subthread designs for whole-system testing and how best to construct and use surrogate models within the coevolutionary scenario. Drawing on our findings, we then describe the effective design of an array of six heterogeneous vertical-axis wind turbines