Problems demanding globally optimal solutions are ubiquitous, yet many are intractable when they involve constrained functions having many local optima and interacting, mixed-type variables. The differential evolution (DE) algorithm is a practical approach to global numerical optimization which is easy to understand, simple to implement, reliable, and fast. Packed with illustrations, computer code, new insights, and practical advice, this volume explores DE in both principle and practice. It is a valuable resource for professionals needing a proven optimizer and for students wanting an evolutionary perspective on global numerical optimization.

Individuals and enterprises are looking for optimal solutions for the problems they face. Most problems can be expressed in mathematical terms, and so the methods of optimization render a significant aid. This book details the latest achievements in optimization. It offers comprehensive coverage on Differential Evolution, presenting revolutionary ideas in population-based optimization and shows the best known metaheuristics through the prism of Differential Evolution.

Differential evolution is arguably one of the hottest topics in today's computational intelligence research. This book seeks to present a comprehensive study of the state of the art in this technology and also directions for future research. The fourteen chapters of this book have been written by leading experts in the area. The first seven chapters focus on algorithm design, while the last seven describe real-world applications. Chapter 1 introduces the basic differential evolution (DE) algorithm and presents a broad overview of the field. Chapter 2 presents a new, rotationally invariant DE algorithm. The role of self-adaptive control parameters in DE is investigated in Chapter 3. Chapters 4 and 5 address constrained optimization; the former develops suitable stopping conditions for the DE run, and the latter presents an improved DE algorithm for problems with very small feasible regions. A novel DE algorithm, based on the concept of "opposite" points, is the topic of Chapter 6. Chapter 7 provides a survey of multi-objective differential evolution algorithms. A review of the major application areas of differential evolution is presented in Chapter 8. Chapter 9 discusses the application of differential evolution in two important areas of applied electromagnetics. Chapters 10 and 11 focus on applications of hybrid DE algorithms to problems in power system optimization. Chapter 12 applies the DE algorithm to computer chess. The use of DE to solve a problem in bioprocess engineering is discussed in Chapter 13. Chapter 14 describes the application of hybrid differential evolution to a problem in control engineering.

What is combinatorial optimization? Traditionally, a problem is considered to be c- binatorial if its set of feasible solutions is both ?nite and discrete, i. e. , enumerable. For example, the traveling salesman problem asks in what order a salesman should visit the cities in his territory if he wants to minimize his total mileage (see Sect. 2. 2. 2). The traveling salesman problem’s feasible solutions - permutations of city labels - c- prise a ?nite, discrete set. By contrast, Differential Evolution was originally designed to optimize functions de?ned on real spaces. Unlike combinatorial problems, the set of feasible solutions for real parameter optimization is continuous. Although Differential Evolution operates internally with ?oating-point precision, it has been applied with success to many numerical optimization problems that have t- ditionally been classi?ed as combinatorial because their feasible sets are discrete. For example, the knapsack problem’s goal is to pack objects of differing weight and value so that the knapsack’s total weight is less than a given maximum and the value of the items inside is maximized (see Sect. 2. 2. 1). The set of feasible solutions - vectors whose components are nonnegative integers - is both numerical and discrete. To handle such problems while retaining full precision, Differential Evolution copies ?oating-point - lutions to a temporary vector that, prior to being evaluated, is truncated to the nearest feasible solution, e. g. , by rounding the temporary parameters to the nearest nonnegative integer.

Optimization problems were and still are the focus of mathematics from antiquity to the present. Since the beginning of our civilization, the human race has had to confront numerous technological challenges, such as finding the optimal solution of various problems including control technologies, power sources construction, applications in economy, mechanical engineering and energy distribution amongst others. These examples encompass both ancient as well as modern technologies like the first electrical energy distribution network in USA etc. Some of the key principles formulated in the middle ages were done by Johannes Kepler (Problem of the wine barrels), Johan Bernoulli (brachystochrone problem), Leonhard Euler (Calculus of Variations), Lagrange (Principle multipliers), that were formulated primarily in the ancient world and are of a geometric nature. In the beginning of the modern era, works of L.V. Kantorovich and G.B. Dantzig (so-called linear programming) can be considered amongst others. This book discusses a wide spectrum of optimization methods from classical to modern, alike heuristics. Novel as well as classical techniques is also discussed in this book, including its mutual intersection. Together with many interesting chapters, a reader will also encounter various methods used for proposed optimization approaches, such as game theory and evolutionary algorithms or modelling of evolutionary algorithm dynamics like complex networks.

The fundamental theme of this book is theoretical study of differential evolution and algorithmic analysis of parameter adaptive schemes. The book offers real-world insights into a variety of large-scale complex industrial applications.

Many advances have recently been made in metaheuristic methods, from theory to applications. The editors, both leading experts in this field, have assembled a team of researchers to contribute 21 chapters organized into parts on simulated annealing, tabu search, ant colony algorithms, general purpose studies of evolutionary algorithms, applications of evolutionary algorithms, and metaheuristics.

Differential evolution has proven itself a very simple while very powerful stochastic global optimizer. It has been applied to solve problems in many scientific and engineering fields. This book focuses on applications of differential evolution in electromagnetics to showcase its achievement and capability in solving synthesis and design problems in electromagnetics.Topics covered in this book include:• A comprehensive up-to-date literature survey on differential evolution• A systematic description of differential evolution• A topical review on applications of differential evolution in electromagnetics• Five new application examplesThis book is ideal for electromagnetic researchers and people in differential evolution community. It is also a valuable reference book for researchers and students in the optimization or electrical and electronic engineering field. In addition, managers and engineers in relevant fields will find it a helpful introductory guide.

Optimization plays a key role in the design, planning and operation of chemical and related processes for several decades. Techniques for solving optimization problems are of deterministic or stochastic type. Of these, stochastic techniques can solve any type of optimization problems and can be adapted for multiple objectives. Differential evolution (DE), proposed about two decades ago, is one of the stochastic techniques. Its algorithm is simple to understand and use. DE has found many applications in chemical engineering.This unique compendium focuses on DE, its recent developments and applications in chemical engineering. It will cover both single and multi-objective optimization. The book contains a number of chapters from experienced editors, and also several chapters from active researchers in this area.