motivates our attempts to develop a new meta-heuristic with
inspiration from grey wolves.
Generally speaking, meta-heuristics can be divided into two
main
classes: single-solution-based and population-based. In the
former class (Simulated Annealing [5] for instance) the search pro-
cess starts with one candidate solution. This single candidate solu-
tion is then improved over the course of iterations. Population-
based meta-heuristics, however, perform the optimization using
a set of solutions (population). In this case the search process starts
with a random initial population (multiple solutions), and this
population is enhanced over the course of iterations. Population-
based meta-heuristics have some advantages compared to single
solution-based algorithms:
Multiple candidate solutions share information about the
search space which results in sudden jumps toward the prom-
ising part of search space.
Multiple candidate solutions assist each other to avoid locally
optimal solutions.
Population-based meta-heuristics generally have greater explo-
ration compared to single solution-based algorithms.
One of the interesting branches of the population-based meta-
heuristics
is Swarm Intelligence (SI). The concepts of SI was first
proposed in 1993 [6]. According to Bonabeau et al. [1],SIis‘‘The
emergent collective intelligence of groups of simple agents’’. The inspi-
rations of SI techniques originate mostly from natural colonies,
flock, herds, and schools. Some of the most popular SI techniques
are ACO [2], PSO [3], and Artificial Bee Colony (ABC) [7]. A compre-
hensive literature review of the SI algorithms is provided in the
next section. Some of the advantages of SI algorithms are:
SI algorithms preserve information about the search space over
the course of iteration, whereas Evolutionary Algorithms (EA)
discard the information of the previous generations.
SI algorithms often utilize memory to save the best solution
obtained so far.
SI algorithms usually have fewer parameters to adjust.
SI algorithms have less operators compared to evolutionary
approaches (crossover, mutation, elitism, and so on).
SI algorithms are easy to implement.
Regardless of the differences between the meta-heuristics, a
common
feature is the division of the search process into two
phases: exploration and exploitation [8–12]. The exploration phase
refers to the process of investigating the promising area(s) of the
search space as broadly as possible. An algorithm needs to have sto-
chastic operators to randomly and globally search the search space
in order to support this phase. However, exploitation refers to the lo-
cal search capability around the promising regions obtained in the
exploration phase. Finding a proper balance between these two
phases is considered a challenging task due to the stochastic nature
of meta-heuristics. This work proposes a new SI technique with
inspiration from the social hierarchy and hunting behavior of grey
wolf packs. The rest of the paper is organized as follows:
Section 2 presents
a literature review of SI techniques. Section 3
outlines the proposed GWO algorithm. The results and discussion
of benchmark functions, semi-real problems, and a real application
are presented in Sections 4-6, respectively. Finally, Section 7 con-
cludes the work and suggests some directions for future studies.
2. Literature review
Meta-heuristics may be classified into three main classes:
evolutionary
, physics-based, and SI algorithms. EAs are usually
inspired by the concepts of evolution in nature. The most popular
algorithm in this branch is GA. This algorithm was proposed by
Holland
in 1992 [13] and simulates Darwnian evolution concepts.
The engineering applications of GA were extensively investigated
by Goldberg [14]. Generally speaking, the optimization is done
by evolving an initial random solution in EAs. Each new population
is created by the combination and mutation of the individuals in
the previous generation. Since the best individuals have higher
probability of participating in generating the new population, the
new population is likely to be better than the previous genera-
tion(s). This can guarantee that the initial random population is
optimized over the course of generations. Some of the EAs are Dif-
ferential Evolution (DE) [15], Evolutionary Programing (EP) [16,17],
and Evolution Strategy (ES) [18,19], Genetic Programming (GP)
[20], and Biogeography-Based Optimizer (BBO) [21].
As an example, the BBO algorithm was first proposed by Simon
in
2008 [21]. The basic idea of this algorithm has been inspired by
biogeography which refers to the study of biological organisms in
terms of geographical distribution (over time and space). The case
studies might include different islands, lands, or even continents
over decades, centuries, or millennia. In this field of study different
ecosystems (habitats or territories) are investigated for finding the
relations between different species (habitants) in terms of immi-
gration, emigration, and mutation. The evolution of ecosystems
(considering different kinds of species such as predator and prey)
over migration and mutation to reach a stable situation was the
main inspiration of the BBO algorithm.
The second main branch of meta-heuristics is physics-based
techniqu
es. Such optimization algorithms typically mimic physical
rules. Some of the most popular algorithms are Gravitational Local
Search (GLSA) [22], Big-Bang Big-Crunch (BBBC) [23], Gravitational
Search Algorithm (GSA) [24], Charged System Search (CSS) [25],
Central Force Optimization (CFO) [26], Artificial Chemical Reaction
Optimization Algorithm (ACROA) [27], Black Hole (BH) [28] algo-
rithm, Ray Optimization (RO) [29] algorithm, Small-World Optimi-
zation Algorithm (SWOA) [30], Galaxy-based Search Algorithm
(GbSA) [31], and Curved Space Optimization (CSO) [32]. The mech-
anism of these algorithms is different from EAs, in that a random
set of search agents communicate and move throughout search
space according to physical rules. This movement is implemented,
for example, using gravitational force, ray casting, electromagnetic
force, inertia force, weights, and so on.
For example, the BBBC algorithm was inspired by the big bang
and
big crunch theories. The search agents of BBBC are scattered
from a point in random directions in a search space according to
the principles of the big bang theory. They search randomly and
then gather in a final point (the best point obtained so far) accord-
ing to the principles of the big crunch theory. GSA is another phys-
ics-based algorithm. The basic physical theory from which GSA is
inspired is Newton’s law of universal gravitation. The GSA algo-
rithm performs search by employing a collection of agents that
have masses proportional to the value of a fitness function. During
iteration, the masses are attracted to each other by the gravita-
tional forces between them. The heavier the mass, the bigger the
attractive force. Therefore, the heaviest mass, which is possibly
close to the global optimum, attracts the other masses in propor-
tion to their distances.
The third subclass of meta-heuristics is the SI methods. These
algorithms
mostly mimic the social behavior of swarms, herds,
flocks, or schools of creatures in nature. The mechanism is almost
similar to physics-based algorithm, but the search agents navigate
using the simulated collective and social intelligence of creatures.
The most popular SI technique is PSO. The PSO algorithm was pro-
posed by Kennedy and Eberhart [3] and inspired from the social
behavior of birds flocking. The PSO algorithm employs multiple
particles that chase the position of the best particle and their
S. Mirjalili et al. / Advances in Engineering Software 69 (2014) 46–61
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