An Autoselection Strategy of Multiobjective Evolutionary Algorithms Based on Performance Indicator and its Application

Abstract

The use of ensemble approaches in the single-objective evolutionary algorithms is ubiquitous, but ensembles of multiobjective evolutionary algorithms (MOEAs) have achieved relatively little attention. On the other hand, manually selecting a suitable MOEA to solve an actual multiobjective optimization problem (MOP) is time-consuming and challenging. Therefore, developing a multiobjective hyperheuristic to allocate computational resources for multiple MOEAs in an intelligent approach is beneficial. In this work, an autoselection strategy of MOEAs based on the performance indicator (MOEAS-PI) is introduced to alleviate the abovementioned problem. In the MOEAS-PI, the performance of each constituent MOEA in the pool is assessed according to a real-time and comprehensive performance indicator, which contains both the current and future performances. The MOEAS-PI is able to easily choose the best performing MOEA during the evolutionary process. Also, it can enhance the robustness of MOEAs and reduce the application risk. The effectiveness of the MOEAS-PI is carefully evaluated on 23 MOPs. Simulation results demonstrate that the MOEAS-PI is an effective and efficient method to integrate the advantages of each individual algorithm. Finally, the MOEAS-PI is utilized to solve a translation control problem of an immersed tunnel element under current flow. Experimental results reveal that the MOEAS-PI is a reliable and effective optimization approach to solve actual MOPs. <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Note to Practitioners</i> —Multiobjective optimization problems (MOPs) have been commonly found in various fields. However, a single MOEA cannot guarantee its sufficient robustness and adaptability in solving MOPs. Therefore, this study aims to propose a multiobjective hyperheuristic algorithm to improve the robustness of MOEAs. The performance of the proposed algorithm is tested on benchmark test functions and an actual MOP. The results show that the proposed approach can select a suitable MOEA to solve a particular type of MOPs during the evolutionary process and provide a solution set for decision-makers to control the translation of an immersed tunnel element under different objectives/operator environments.