APPLICATION OF GENETIC ALGORITHMS TO A LARGE-SCALE MULTIPLE-CONSTRAINT VEHICLE ROUTING PROBLEM

2003 ◽  
Vol 03 (01) ◽  
pp. 1-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
GEORGE MOURKOUSIS ◽  
MATHEW PROTONOTARIOS ◽  
THEODORA VARVARIGOU
Keyword(s):  
Vehicle Routing ◽  
Vehicle Routing Problem ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Hybrid Genetic Algorithm ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Search Space ◽  
Genetic Operators ◽  
Actual Problem ◽  
Routing Problem

This paper presents a study on the application of a hybrid genetic algorithm (HGA) to an extended instance of the Vehicle Routing Problem. The actual problem is a complex real-life vehicle routing problem regarding the distribution of products to customers. A non homogenous fleet of vehicles with limited capacity and allowed travel time is available to satisfy the stochastic demand of a set of different types of customers with earliest and latest time for servicing. The objective is to minimize distribution costs respecting the imposed constraints (vehicle capacity, customer time windows, driver working hours and so on). The approach for solving the problem was based on a "cluster and route" HGA. Several genetic operators, selection and replacement methods were tested until the HGA became efficient for optimization of a multi-extrema search space system (multi-modal optimization). Finally, High Performance Computing (HPC) has been applied in order to provide near-optimal solutions in a sensible amount of time.

scholarly journals Selected Genetic Algorithms for Vehicle Routing Problem Solving

Electronics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (24) ◽  
pp. 3147
Author(s):  
Joanna Ochelska-Mierzejewska ◽  
Aneta Poniszewska-Marańda ◽  
Witold Marańda
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Algorithms ◽  
Vehicle Routing ◽  
Vehicle Routing Problem ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Genetic Operators ◽  
Routing Problem ◽  
Starting Point

The traveling salesman problem (TSP) consists of finding the shortest way between cities, which passes through all cities and returns to the starting point, given the distance between cities. The Vehicle Routing Problem (VRP) is the issue of defining the assumptions and limitations in mapping routes for vehicles performing certain operational activities. It is a major problem in logistics transportation. In specific areas of business, where transportation can be perceived as added value to the product, it is estimated that its optimization can lower costs up to 25% in total. The economic benefits for more open markets are a key point for VRP. This paper discusses the metaheuristics usage for solving the vehicle routing problem with special attention toward Genetic Algorithms (GAs). Metaheuristic algorithms are selected to solve the vehicle routing problem, where GA is implemented as our primary metaheuristic algorithm. GA belongs to the evolutionary algorithm (EA) family, which works on a “survival of the fittest” mechanism. This paper presents the idea of implementing different genetic operators, modified for usage with the VRP, and performs experiments to determine the best combination of genetic operators for solving the VRP and to find optimal solutions for large-scale real-life examples of the VRP.

A Fast and Scalable Heuristic for the Solution of Large-Scale Capacitated Vehicle Routing Problems

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luca Accorsi ◽  
Daniele Vigo
Keyword(s):  
Vehicle Routing ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Computing Time ◽  
Search Space ◽  
Iterated Local Search ◽  
Solution Quality ◽  
Routing Problem ◽  
Acceptance Criterion ◽  
Acceleration Techniques ◽  
Capacitated Vehicle

In this paper, we propose a fast and scalable, yet effective, metaheuristic called FILO to solve large-scale instances of the Capacitated Vehicle Routing Problem. Our approach consists of a main iterative part, based on the Iterated Local Search paradigm, which employs a carefully designed combination of existing acceleration techniques, as well as novel strategies to keep the optimization localized, controlled, and tailored to the current instance and solution. A Simulated Annealing-based neighbor acceptance criterion is used to obtain a continuous diversification, to ensure the exploration of different regions of the search space. Results on extensively studied benchmark instances from the literature, supported by a thorough analysis of the algorithm’s main components, show the effectiveness of the proposed design choices, making FILO highly competitive with existing state-of-the-art algorithms, both in terms of computing time and solution quality. Finally, guidelines for possible efficient implementations, algorithm source code, and a library of reusable components are open-sourced to allow reproduction of our results and promote further investigations.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document