A universal large-scale many-objective optimization framework based on cultural learning

Abstract

When solving large-scale many-objective optimization problems (LMaOPs), due to the large number of variables and objectives involved, the algorithm is faced with a very high-dimensional and complex search space, which is difficult to be explored with limited resources. To address these issues, this paper proposes a universal large-scale many-objective optimization framework based on cultural learning (UCLMO). First, a universal framework is proposed, and multi-objective optimizers can be embedded into the framework to accelerate the convergence. Moreover, inspired by cultural learning, an individual selection strategy based on historical knowledge is proposed to promote the diversity of the population, and an assisted evolution strategy based on normative knowledge is presented to accelerate the convergence of the algorithm. Experiments have been conducted on multi-objective knapsack problems and LMaOPs with decision variables ranging from 500 to 1500, and the number of objectives ranging from 5 to 15. The experimental results verify the superiority and competitiveness of the proposed UCLMO framework in solving LMaOPs compared with state-of-the-art algorithms.