Time-consuming Optimization Problems Research Articles

A Novel Approach for Optimum Conjunctive Use Management of Groundwater and Surface Water Resources under Uncertainty

Uncertainty in determining optimum conjunctive water use lies not only on variability of hydrological cycle and climate but also on lack of adequate data and perfect knowledge about groundwater-surface water system interactions, errors in historic data and inherent variability of system parameters both in space and time. Simulation-optimization models are used for conjunctive water use management under uncertain conditions. However, direct application of such approach whereby all realizations are considered at every-iteration of the optimization process leads to a highly computational time-consuming optimization problem as the number of realizations increases. Hence, this study proposes a novel approach—a Retrospective Optimization Approximation (ROA) approach. In this approach, a simulation model was used to determine aquifer system responses (draw-downs) which were assembled as response matrices and incorporated in the optimization model (procedure) as coefficients in the constraints. The sample optimization sub-problems generated, were solved and analyzed through ROA-Active-Set procedure implemented under MATLAB code. The ROA-Active Set procedure solves and evaluates a sequence of sample path optimization sub-problems in an increasing number of realizations. The methodology was applied to a real-world conjunctive water use management problem found in Great Letaba River basin, South Africa. In the River basin, surface water source contributes 87% of the existing un-optimized total conjunctive water use withdrawal rate (6512.04 m3/day) and the remaining 13% is contributed by groundwater source. Through ROA approach, results indicate that the optimum percentages contribution of the surface and subsurface sources to the total water demand are 58% and 42% respectively. This implies that the existing percentage contribution can be increased or reduced by ±29% that is groundwater source can be increased by 29% while the surface water source contribution can be reduced by 29%. This reveals that the existing conjunctive water use practice is unsustainable wherein surface water system is overstressed while groundwater system is under-utilized. Through k-means sampling technique ROA-Active Set procedure was able to attain a converged maximum expected total optimum conjunctive water use withdrawal rate of 4.35 × 104 m3/day within a relatively few numbers of iterations (6 to 8 iterations) in about 2.30 Hrs. In conclusion, results demonstrated that ROA approach is capable of managing real-world regional aquifers sustainable conjunctive water use practice under hydro-geological uncertainty conditions.

Real-Time Video Synopsis via Dynamic and Adaptive Online Tube Resizing

Nowadays, with the increased numbers of video cameras, the amount of recorded video is growing. Efficient video browsing and retrieval are critical issues when considering the amount of raw video data to be condensed. Activity-based video synopsis is a popular approach to solving the video condensation problem. However, conventional synopsis methods always consists of complicated and pairwise energy terms that involve a time-consuming optimization problem. In this paper, we propose a simple online video synopsis framework in which the number of collisions of objects is classified first. Different optimization strategies are applied according to different collision situations to maintain a balance among the computational cost, condensation ratio, and collision cost. Secondly, tube-resizing coefficients that are dynamic in different frames are adaptively assigned to a newly generated tube. Therefore, a suitable mapping result can be obtained in order to represent the proper size of the activity in each frame of the synopsis video. The maximum number of activities can be displayed in one frame with minimal collisions. Finally, in order to remove motion anti-facts and improve the visual quality of the condensed video, a smooth term is introduced to constrain the resizing coefficients. Experimental results on extensive videos validate the efficiency of the proposed method.

Surrogate model assisted multi-criteria operation evaluation of community integrated energy systems

Operational evaluation is critical for revealing the operational performance and improvement potential of community integrated energy systems (CIESs). However, complex system configuration and flexible energy conversion in a CIES render the evaluation more challenging. Both the loss in energy quality and quantity should be considered to comprehensively evaluate the energy utilization capability of a CIES. Accurately quantified evaluation requires the optimal solution as the reference, which incurs a heavy computational burden and limits its applicability under massive scenarios. This paper proposes a surrogate model assisted quantified evaluation method for CIES operation considering the variation in energy quality and to show the gap to optimal performance. First, exergy theory is adopted to analyze the matching degree between the input and output energy quality. Second, three indicators are considered as examples to reveal the operational performance in terms of system efficiency, renewable energy penetration, and operation cost. The scores of quantified evaluation are derived using the technique for order preference by similarity to an ideal solution (TOPSIS) method. Third, a CNN-based surrogate model is designed to replace the time-consuming optimization problems for the optimal reference solution, which effectively accelerates the evaluation efficiency under massive scenarios. Case studies demonstrate the effectiveness of the evaluation methods and efficiency of the proposed surrogate model.

Neural network-based multiobjective optimization algorithm for nonlinear beam dynamics

Multiobjective genetic algorithms (MOGAs) have proven to be powerful in solving multiobjective problems in the accelerator field. Nevertheless, for explorative problems that have many variables and local optima, the performance of MOGAs is not always satisfactory, especially when a small population size is used due to practical limitations, e.g., limited computing resources. To deal with this challenge, in this paper an enhanced MOGA, neural network-based MOGA (NBMOGA), is proposed. In this method, the data produced with the standard MOGA are used to train a neural network. The neural network is fast to produce a large pool of objective function estimates, with sufficiently high accuracy. A subset of the most competitive estimates is selected to form a population (matching MOGA population size), which is then evaluated with the MOGA evaluator. By taking three classic multiobjective problems as examples, we demonstrate that the proposed method promises a faster convergence and a higher degree of diversity than that available with the standard MOGA and other three optimization methods that have been applied in the accelerator field, i.e., the multiobjective particle swarm optimization (MOPSO), the combination of MOPSO and MOGA, and the clustering enhanced MOGA. And then this method is applied to a time-consuming optimization problem, the dynamic aperture and Touschek lifetime optimization of the high energy photon source. It turns out that, within the same optimization time, a better set of solutions in the objective space can be obtained with the NBMOGA than using other methods. The Touschek lifetime can be improved by about 10% compared with using the standard MOGA, with approximately the same dynamic aperture area. Besides, a higher degree of diversity among solutions is observed with the NBMOGA than using other tested methods.

Evaluation of a Learning-based Deformable Registration Method on Abdominal CT Images

BackgroundReliable image comparisons, based on fast and accurate deformable registration methods, are recognized as key steps in the diagnosis and follow-up of cancer as well as for radiation therapy planning or surgery. In the particular case of abdominal images, the images to compare often differ widely from each other due to organ deformation, patient motion, movements of gastrointestinal tract or breathing. As a consequence, there is a need for registration methods that can cope with both local and global large and highly non-linear deformations. MethodDeformable registration of medical images traditionally relies on the iterative minimization of a cost function involving a large number of parameters. For complex deformations and large datasets, this process is computationally very demanding, leading to processing times that are incompatible with the clinical routine workflow. Moreover, the highly non-convex nature of these optimization problems leads to a high risk of convergence toward local minima. Recently, deep learning approaches using Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) have led to major breakthroughs by providing computationally fast unsupervised methods for the registration of 2D and 3D images within seconds. Among all the proposed approaches, the VoxelMorph learning-based framework pioneered to learn in an unsupervised way the complex mapping, parameterized using a CNN, between every couple of 2D or 3D pairs of images and the corresponding deformation field by minimizing a standard intensity-based similarity metrics over the whole learning database. Voxelmorph has so far only been evaluated on brain images. The present study proposes to evaluate this method in the context of inter-subject registration of abdominal CT images, which present a greater challenge in terms of registration than brain images, due to greater anatomical variability and significant organ deformations. ResultsThe performances of VoxelMorph were compared with the current top-performing non-learning-based deformable registration method “Symmetric Normalization” (SyN), implemented in ANTs, on two representative databases: LiTS and 3D-IRCADb-01. Three different experiments were carried out on 2D or 3D data, the atlas-based or pairwise registration, using two different similarity metrics, namely (MSE and CC). Accuracy of the registration was measured by the Dice score, which quantifies the volume overlap for the selected anatomical region.All the three experiments exhibit that the two deformable registration methods significantly outperform the affine registration and that VoxelMorph accuracy is comparable or even better than the reference non-learning based registration method ANTs (SyN), with a drastically reduced computation time. ConclusionBy substituting a time consuming optimization problem, VoxelMorph has made an outstanding achievement in learning-based registration algorithm, where a registration function is trained and thus, able to perform deformable registration almost accurately on abdominal images, while reducing the computation time from minutes to seconds and from seconds to milliseconds in comparison to ANTs (SyN) on a CPU.

An efficient parallel global optimization strategy based on Kriging properties suitable for material parameters identification

Material parameters identification by inverse analysis using finite element computations leads to the resolution of complex and time-consuming optimization problems. One way to deal with these complex problems is to use meta-models to limit the number of objective function computations. In this paper, the Efficient Global Optimization (EGO) algorithm is used. The EGO algorithm is applied to specific objective functions , which are representative of material parameters identification issues. Isotropic and anisotropic correlation functions are tested. For anisotropic correlation functions, it leads to a significant reduction of the computation time. Besides, they appear to be a good way to deal with the weak sensitivity of the parameters. In order to decrease the computation time, a parallel strategy is defined. It relies on a virtual enrichment of the meta-model, in order to compute q new objective functions in a parallel environment. Different methods of choosing the qnew objective functions are presented and compared. Speed-up tests show that Kriging Believer (KB) and minimum Constant Liar (CLmin) enrichments are suitable methods for this parallel EGO (EGO-p) algorithm. However, it must be noted that the most interesting speed-ups are observed for a small number of objective functions computed in parallel. Finally, the algorithm is successfully tested on a real parameters identification problem.

Globalizer: A novel supercomputer software system for solving time-consuming global optimization problems

In this paper, we describe the Globalizer software system for solving the global optimization problems. The system is designed to maximize the use of computational potential of the modern high-performance computational systems in order to solve the most time-consuming optimization problems. The highly parallel computations are facilitated using various distinctive computational schemes: processing several optimization iterations simultaneously, reducing multidimensional optimization problems using multiple Peano space-filling curves, and multi-stage computing based on the nested block reduction schemes. These novelties provide for the use of the supercomputer system capabilities with shared and distributed memory and with large numbers of processors to solve the global optimization problems efficiently.

Optimal Golomb Ruler Sequences Generation for Optical WDM Systems: A Novel Parallel Hybrid Multi-objective Bat Algorithm

In real-life, multi-objective engineering design problems are very tough and time consuming optimization problems due to their high degree of nonlinearities, complexities and inhomogeneity. Nature-inspired based multi-objective optimization algorithms are now becoming popular for solving multi-objective engineering design problems. This paper proposes original multi-objective Bat algorithm (MOBA) and its extended form, namely, novel parallel hybrid multi-objective Bat algorithm (PHMOBA) to generate shortest length Golomb ruler called optimal Golomb ruler (OGR) sequences at a reasonable computation time. The OGRs found their application in optical wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) systems as channel-allocation algorithm to reduce the four-wave mixing (FWM) crosstalk. The performances of both the proposed algorithms to generate OGRs as optical WDM channel-allocation is compared with other existing classical computing and nature-inspired algorithms, including extended quadratic congruence (EQC), search algorithm (SA), genetic algorithms (GAs), biogeography based optimization (BBO) and big bang-big crunch (BB-BC) optimization algorithms. Simulations conclude that the proposed parallel hybrid multi-objective Bat algorithm works efficiently as compared to original multi-objective Bat algorithm and other existing algorithms to generate OGRs for optical WDM systems. The algorithm PHMOBA to generate OGRs, has higher convergence and success rate than original MOBA. The efficiency improvement of proposed PHMOBA to generate OGRs up to 20-marks, in terms of ruler length and total optical channel bandwidth (TBW) is 100 %, whereas for original MOBA is 85 %. Finally the implications for further research are also discussed.

An improved procedure for updating finite element model based on an interactive multiobjective programming

Finite element model updating is an optimization problem to identify and correct uncertain modeling parameters. In conventional model updating, physically incompatible criteria, which designate differences between analytical and experimental results, are combined into a single-objective function using weighting factors. There are no general rules for selecting the weighting factors since they are not directly related to the dynamic behavior of the updated model. Thus, a necessary approach is to solve the time-consuming optimization problem repeatedly by varying the values of weighting factors until a satisfactory solution is obtained. In this work, an interactive multiobjective optimization technique called satisficing trade-off method is introduced to avoid the difficulty. It is relatively easy to state what kind of solutions is satisfactory considering the correlations of the initial FE model with the experimental results, the importance of individual modal properties, and measurement errors, etc. The satisficing trade-off method uses this information directly in the optimization process and finds a Pareto solution which is nearest to the given information. Moreover, as the method provides the tangent hyperplane which approximates the Pareto surface in the neighborhood of the obtained Pareto solution, the desired updated model can be found in a few iterations.

Quality-of-service oriented web service composition algorithm and planning architecture

In the next few decades, it is expected that web services will proliferate, many web services will offer the same services, and the clients will demand more value added and informative services rather than those offered by single, isolated web services. As the result, the problem of synthesizing web services of high quality will be raised as a prominent issue. The clients will face the trouble of choosing or creating composition plans, among numerous possible plans, that satisfy their quality-of-service (QoS) requirements. Typical QoS properties associated with a web service are the execution cost and time, availability, successful execution rate, reputation, and usage frequency. In engineering perspective, generating the composition plan that fulfills a client’s QoS requirement is a time-consuming optimization problem. To resolve the problem in a timely manner, we propose a constraint satisfaction based web service composition algorithm that combines tabu search and simulated annealing meta-heuristics. As an implementation framework of the algorithm, we suggest a QoS-oriented web service composition planning architecture. The architecture maintains expert made composition schemas in a service category and assists the client as pure user to choose the one he/she wants to use. The main modules of the architecture are composition broker and execution plan optimizer. With the aid of the UDDI server, the composition broker discovers candidate outsourced web services for each atomic process of the selected schema and gathers QoS information on the web services. After that, the execution plan optimizer runs the web service composition algorithm in order to generate a QoS-oriented composition plan. The performance of the algorithm was tested in a simulated environment.

A Novel Evolutionary Approach for Optimizing Content-Based Image Indexing Algorithms

Optimization of content-based image indexing and retrieval (CBIR) algorithms is a complicated and time-consuming task since each time a parameter of the indexing algorithm is changed, all images in the database should be indexed again. In this paper, a novel evolutionary method called evolutionary group algorithm (EGA) is proposed for complicated time-consuming optimization problems such as finding optimal parameters of content-based image indexing algorithms. In the new evolutionary algorithm, the image database is partitioned into several smaller subsets, and each subset is used by an updating process as training patterns for each chromosome during evolution. This is in contrast to genetic algorithms that use the whole database as training patterns for evolution. Additionally, for each chromosome, a parameter called age is defined that implies the progress of the updating process. Similarly, the genes of the proposed chromosomes are divided into two categories: evolutionary genes that participate to evolution and history genes that save previous states of the updating process. Furthermore, a new fitness function is defined which evaluates the fitness of the chromosomes of the current population with different ages in each generation. We used EGA to optimize the quantization thresholds of the wavelet-correlogram algorithm for CBIR. The optimal quantization thresholds computed by EGA improved significantly all the evaluation measures including average precision, average weighted precision, average recall, and average rank for the wavelet-correlogram method.