Chapter 1 - Nature-inspired computation and swarm intelligence: a state-of-the-art overview

Abstract

Nature-inspired algorithms can be flexible and efficient for solving optimization problems. There are a wide spectrum of nature-inspired algorithms in the literature, and most of such algorithms are based on swarm intelligence. This chapter provides an overview of some widely used algorithms for optimization. Their main characteristics will be discussed in comparison with traditional algorithms such as gradient-based algorithms. Some open problems concerning swarm intelligence and nature-inspired computation will be highlighted.