This book aims to discuss the core and underlying principles and analysis of the different constraint handling approaches. The main emphasis of the book is on providing an enriched literature on mathematical modelling of the test as well as real-world problems with constraints, and further development of generalized constraint handling techniques. These techniques may be incorporated in suitable metaheuristics providing a solid optimized solution to the problems and applications being addressed. The book comprises original contributions with an aim to develop and discuss generalized constraint handling approaches/techniques for the metaheuristics and/or the applications being addressed. A variety of novel as well as modified and hybridized techniques have been discussed in the book. The conceptual as well as the mathematical level in all the chapters is well within the grasp of the scientists as well as the undergraduate and graduate students from the engineering and computer science streams. The reader is encouraged to have basic knowledge of probability and mathematical analysis and optimization. The book also provides critical review of the contemporary constraint handling approaches. The contributions of the book may further help to explore new avenues leading towards multidisciplinary research discussions. This book is a complete reference for engineers, scientists, and students studying/working in the optimization, artificial intelligence (AI), or computational intelligence arena.

Mechanical Engineering domain problems are generally complex, consisting of different design variables and constraints. These problems may not be solved using gradient-based optimization techniques. The stochastic nature-inspired optimization techniques have been proposed in this book to efficiently handle the complex problems. The nature-inspired algorithms are classified as bio-inspired, swarm, and physics/chemical-based algorithms. Socio-inspired is one of the subdomains of bio-inspired algorithms, and Cohort Intelligence (CI) models the social tendencies of learning candidates with an inherent goal to achieve the best possible position. In this book, CI is investigated by solving ten discrete variable truss structural problems, eleven mixed variable design engineering problems, seventeen linear and nonlinear constrained test problems and two real-world applications from manufacturing domain. Static Penalty Function (SPF) is also adopted to handle the linear and nonlinear constraints, and limitations in CI and SPF approaches are examined. Constraint Handling in Cohort Intelligence Algorithm is a valuable reference to practitioners working in the industry as well as to students and researchers in the area of optimization methods.

The third edition of this handbook is designed to provide a broad coverage of the concepts, implementations, and applications in metaheuristics. The book’s chapters serve as stand-alone presentations giving both the necessary underpinnings as well as practical guides for implementation. The nature of metaheuristics invites an analyst to modify basic methods in response to problem characteristics, past experiences, and personal preferences, and the chapters in this handbook are designed to facilitate this process as well. This new edition has been fully revised and features new chapters on swarm intelligence and automated design of metaheuristics from flexible algorithm frameworks. The authors who have contributed to this volume represent leading figures from the metaheuristic community and are responsible for pioneering contributions to the fields they write about. Their collective work has significantly enriched the field of optimization in general and combinatorial optimization in particular.Metaheuristics are solution methods that orchestrate an interaction between local improvement procedures and higher level strategies to create a process capable of escaping from local optima and performing a robust search of a solution space. In addition, many new and exciting developments and extensions have been observed in the last few years. Hybrids of metaheuristics with other optimization techniques, like branch-and-bound, mathematical programming or constraint programming are also increasingly popular. On the front of applications, metaheuristics are now used to find high-quality solutions to an ever-growing number of complex, ill-defined real-world problems, in particular combinatorial ones. This handbook should continue to be a great reference for researchers, graduate students, as well as practitioners interested in metaheuristics.

This Volume discusses the underlying principles and analysis of the different concepts associated with an emerging socio-inspired optimization tool referred to as Cohort Intelligence (CI). CI algorithms have been coded in Matlab and are freely available from the link provided inside the book. The book demonstrates the ability of CI methodology for solving combinatorial problems such as Traveling Salesman Problem and Knapsack Problem in addition to real world applications from the healthcare, inventory, supply chain optimization and Cross-Border transportation. The inherent ability of handling constraints based on probability distribution is also revealed and proved using these problems.

The main goal of this book is to provide a state of the art of hybrid metaheuristics. The book provides a complete background that enables readers to design and implement hybrid metaheuristics to solve complex optimization problems (continuous/discrete, mono-objective/multi-objective, optimization under uncertainty) in a diverse range of application domains. Readers learn to solve large scale problems quickly and efficiently combining metaheuristics with complementary metaheuristics, mathematical programming, constraint programming and machine learning. Numerous real-world examples of problems and solutions demonstrate how hybrid metaheuristics are applied in such fields as networks, logistics and transportation, bio-medical, engineering design, scheduling.

The continuous miniaturization of integrated circuit (IC) chips and the increase in the sleekness of the design of electronic components have led to the monumental rise of volumetric heat generation in electronic components. Hybrid Genetic Optimization for IC Chips Thermal Control: With MATLAB® Applications focuses on the detailed optimization strategy carried out to enhance the performance (temperature control) of the IC chips oriented at different positions on a switch-mode power supply (SMPS) board and cooled using air under various heat transfer modes. Seven asymmetric protruding IC chips mounted at different positions on an SMPS board are considered in the present study that is supplied with non-uniform heat fluxes. Key Features: Provides guidance on performance enhancement and reliability of IC chips Provides a detailed hybrid optimization strategy for the optimal arrangement of IC chips on a board The MATLAB program for the hybrid optimization strategy along with its stability analysis is carried out in a detailed manner Enables thermal design engineers to identify the positioning of IC chips on the board to increase their reliability and working cycle

This book provides a complete background on metaheuristics to solve complex bi-level optimization problems (continuous/discrete, mono-objective/multi-objective) in a diverse range of application domains. Readers learn to solve large scale bi-level optimization problems by efficiently combining metaheuristics with complementary metaheuristics and mathematical programming approaches. Numerous real-world examples of problems demonstrate how metaheuristics are applied in such fields as networks, logistics and transportation, engineering design, finance and security.