Handling multi-objective optimization problems with a multi-swarm cooperative particle swarm optimizer

This paper presents a new multi-objective optimization algorithm in which multi-swarm cooperative strategy is incorporated into particle swarm optimization algorithm, called multi-swarm cooperative multi-objective particle swarm optimizer (MC-MOPSO). This algorithm consists of multiple slave swarms and one master swarm. Each slave swarm is designed to optimize one objective function of the multi-objective problem in order to find out all the non-dominated optima of this objective function. In order to produce a well distributed Pareto front, the master swarm is developed to cover gaps among non-dominated optima by using a local MOPSO algorithm. Moreover, in order to strengthen the capability locating multiple optima of the PSO, several improved techniques such as the Pareto dominance-based species technique and the escape strategy of mature species are introduced. The simulation results indicate that our algorithm is highly competitive to solving the multi-objective optimization problems. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.