A metaheuristic is a higher-level procedure designed to select a partial search algorithm that may lead to a good solution to an optimization problem, especially with incomplete or imperfect information.This unique compendium focuses on the insights of hybrid metaheuristics. It illustrates the recent researches on evolving novel hybrid metaheuristic algorithms, and prominently highlights its diverse application areas. As such, the book helps readers to grasp the essentials of hybrid metaheuristics and to address real world problems.The must-have volume serves as an inspiring read for professionals, researchers, academics and graduate students in the fields of artificial intelligence, robotics and machine learning.Related Link(s)

This book explains the most prominent and some promising new, general techniques that combine metaheuristics with other optimization methods. A first introductory chapter reviews the basic principles of local search, prominent metaheuristics, and tree search, dynamic programming, mixed integer linear programming, and constraint programming for combinatorial optimization purposes. The chapters that follow present five generally applicable hybridization strategies, with exemplary case studies on selected problems: incomplete solution representations and decoders; problem instance reduction; large neighborhood search; parallel non-independent construction of solutions within metaheuristics; and hybridization based on complete solution archives. The authors are among the leading researchers in the hybridization of metaheuristics with other techniques for optimization, and their work reflects the broad shift to problem-oriented rather than algorithm-oriented approaches, enabling faster and more effective implementation in real-life applications. This hybridization is not restricted to different variants of metaheuristics but includes, for example, the combination of mathematical programming, dynamic programming, or constraint programming with metaheuristics, reflecting cross-fertilization in fields such as optimization, algorithmics, mathematical modeling, operations research, statistics, and simulation. The book is a valuable introduction and reference for researchers and graduate students in these domains.

The main goal of this book is to provide a state of the art of hybrid metaheuristics. The book provides a complete background that enables readers to design and implement hybrid metaheuristics to solve complex optimization problems (continuous/discrete, mono-objective/multi-objective, optimization under uncertainty) in a diverse range of application domains. Readers learn to solve large scale problems quickly and efficiently combining metaheuristics with complementary metaheuristics, mathematical programming, constraint programming and machine learning. Numerous real-world examples of problems and solutions demonstrate how hybrid metaheuristics are applied in such fields as networks, logistics and transportation, bio-medical, engineering design, scheduling.

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 8th International Workshop on Hybrid Metaheuristics, HM 2013, held in Ischia, Italy, in May 2013. The 16 revised full papers presented were carefully reviewed and selected from 30 submissions. The selected papers cover both theoretical and experimental results, including new paradigmatic hybrid solvers and automatic design approaches as well as applications to logistics and public transport.

Annotation. This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 7th International Workshop on Hybrid Metaheuristics, HM 2010, held in Vienna, Austria, in October 2010. The 14 revised full papers presented were carefully reviewed and selected from 29 submissions.

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 9th International Workshop on Hybrid Metaheuristics, HM 2014, held in Hamburg, Germany, in June 2014. The 14 revised full papers presented were carefully reviewed and selected from 22 submissions. The selected papers cover both theoretical and experimental results, including new paradigmatic hybrid solvers and automatic design approaches as well as applications to logistics and public transport.

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 4th International Workshop on Hybrid Metaheuristics, HM 2007, held in Dortmund, Germany. The 14 revised full papers discuss specific aspects of hybridization of metaheuristics, hybrid metaheuristics design, development and testing. With increasing attention to methodological aspects, from both the empirical and theoretical sides, the papers show a representative sample of research in the field of hybrid metaheuristics.

The main goal of this book is to provide a state of the art of hybrid metaheuristics. The book provides a complete background that enables readers to design and implement hybrid metaheuristics to solve complex optimization problems (continuous/discrete, mono-objective/multi-objective, optimization under uncertainty) in a diverse range of application domains. Readers learn to solve large scale problems quickly and efficiently combining metaheuristics with complementary metaheuristics, mathematical programming, constraint programming and machine learning. Numerous real-world examples of problems and solutions demonstrate how hybrid metaheuristics are applied in such fields as networks, logistics and transportation, bio-medical, engineering design, scheduling.

The International Workshop on Hybrid Metaheuristics was established with the aim of providing researchers and scholars with a forum for discussing new ideas and research on metaheuristics and their integration with techniques typical of other ?elds. The papers accepted for the sixth workshop con?rm that such a combination is indeed e?ective and that several research areas can be put together.Slowlybut surely,thisprocesshasbeen promotingproductivedialogue amongresearcherswithdi?erentexpertiseanderodingbarriersbetweenresearch areas. The papers in this volume give a representativesample of current researchin hybrid metaheuristics. It is worth emphasizing that this year, a large number of papers demonstrated how metaheuristics can be integrated with integer linear programmingandotheroperationsresearchtechniques.Constraintprogramming is also featured, which is a notable representative of arti?cial intelligence solving methods. Most of these papers are not only a proof of concept – which can be valuable by itself – but also show that the hybrid techniques presented tackle di?cult and relevant problems. In keeping with the tradition of this workshop, special care was exercised in the review process: out of 22 submissions received, 12 papers were selected on the basis of reviews by the Program Committee members and evaluations by the Program Chairs. Reviews were in great depth: reviewers sought to p- vide authors with constructive suggestions for improvement. Special thanks are extended to the Program Committee members who devoted their time and - fort. Special gratitude is due to Andrea Lodi and Vittorio Maniezzo, who both accepted our invitation to give an overview talk.

Optimization techniques have developed into a significant area concerning industrial, economics, business, and financial systems. With the development of engineering and financial systems, modern optimization has played an important role in service-centered operations and as such has attracted more attention to this field. Meta-heuristic hybrid optimization is a newly development mathematical framework based optimization technique. Designed by logicians, engineers, analysts, and many more, this technique aims to study the complexity of algorithms and problems. Meta-Heuristics Optimization Algorithms in Engineering, Business, Economics, and Finance explores the emerging study of meta-heuristics optimization algorithms and methods and their role in innovated real world practical applications. This book is a collection of research on the areas of meta-heuristics optimization algorithms in engineering, business, economics, and finance and aims to be a comprehensive reference for decision makers, managers, engineers, researchers, scientists, financiers, and economists as well as industrialists.