Iterative computer algorithms with applications in engineering : solving combinatorial optimization problems

Iterative Computer Algorithms with Applications in Engineering describes in-depth the five main iterative algorithms for solving hard combinatorial optimization problems: Simulated Annealing, Genetic Algorithms, Tabu Search, Simulated Evolution, and Stochastic Evolution. The authors present various iterative techniques and illustrate how they can be applied to solve several NP-hard problems. For each algorithm, the authors present the procedures of the algorithm, parameter selection criteria, convergence property analysis, and parallelization. There are also several real-world examples that illustrate various aspects of the algorithms. The book includes an introduction to fuzzy logic and its application in the formulation of multi-objective optimization problems, a discussion on hybrid techniques that combine features of heuristics, a survey of recent research work, and examples that illustrate required mathematical concepts. The unique features of this book are: An integrated and up-to-date description of iterative non-deterministic algorithms; Detailed descriptions of Simulated Evolution and Stochastic Evolution; A level of treatment suitable for first year graduate student and practicing engineers; Parallelization aspects and particular parallel implementations; A brief survey of recent research work; Graded exercises and an annotated bibliography in each chapter