Alternative Generation in Complex Decision Modelling Using a Firefly Algorithm Metaheuristic Approach

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 68-79
Author(s):  
Julian Scott Yeomans
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Firefly Algorithm ◽  
Programming Models ◽  
Objective Measures ◽  
Benchmark Problem ◽  
Biologically Inspired ◽  
Performance Requirements ◽  
Decision Variables ◽  
Alternative Generation ◽  
Complex Decision

Decision-making in the “real world” can become dominated by inconsistent performance requirements and incompatible specifications that can be difficult to detect when supporting mathematical programming models are formulated. There are invariably unmodelled elements, not apparent during model construction, which can greatly impact the acceptability of the model's solutions. Consequently, it can frequently prove beneficial to construct a set of options that provide dissimilar approaches to such problems. These alternatives should possess near-optimal objective measures with respect to all known objectives, but be maximally different from each other in terms of their decision variables. The approach for creating maximally different sets of solutions is referred to as modelling-to-generate-alternatives (MGA). This article provides an efficient biologically-inspired algorithm that can generate sets of maximally different alternatives by employing the Firefly Algorithm metaheuristic. The computational efficacy of this MGA approach is demonstrated on a commonly-tested benchmark problem.

Simultaneous Modelling-to-Generate-Alternatives Procedure Employing the Firefly Algorithm

2019 ◽  
pp. 19-33
Author(s):  
Julian Scott Yeomans
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Firefly Algorithm ◽  
Objective Measures ◽  
Programming Approach ◽  
Benchmark Problem ◽  
Performance Requirements ◽  
Decision Variables ◽  
Performance Specifications ◽  
Mathematical Programming Approach ◽  
Design Requirements

“Real-world” decision-making applications generally contain multifaceted performance requirements riddled with incongruent performance specifications. This is because decision making typically involves complex problems that are riddled with incompatible performance objectives and contain competing design requirements which are very difficult—if not impossible—to capture and quantify at the time that the supporting decision models are actually constructed. There are invariably unmodelled elements, not apparent during model construction, which can greatly impact the acceptability of the model's solutions. Consequently, it is preferable to generate several distinct alternatives that provide multiple disparate perspectives to the problem. These alternatives should possess near-optimal objective measures with respect to all known objective(s), but be maximally different from each other in terms of their decision variables. This maximally different solution creation approach is referred to as modelling-to-generate-alternatives (MGA). This chapter provides an efficient optimization algorithm that simultaneously generates multiple, maximally different alternatives by employing the metaheuristic firefly algorithm. The efficacy of this mathematical programming approach is demonstrated on a commonly tested engineering optimization benchmark problem.

A Biologically-Inspired Metaheuristic Approach for the Simultaneous Generation of Alternatives

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julian Scott Yeomans
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Decision Support ◽  
Test Problem ◽  
Firefly Algorithm ◽  
Objective Measures ◽  
Engineering Optimization ◽  
Biologically Inspired ◽  
Simultaneous Generation ◽  
Decision Variables ◽  
Decision Support Models

Decision-making in the “real world” involves complex problems that tend to be riddled with competing performance objectives and possess requirements which are very difficult to incorporate into any underlying decision support models. There are invariably unmodelled elements, not apparent during model construction, which can greatly impact the acceptability of the model's solutions. Consequently, it is preferable to generate numerous dissimilar alternatives that provide disparate perspectives to the problem. These alternatives should possess near-optimal objective measures with respect to all known objectives, but be maximally different from each other in terms of their decision variables. This maximally different solution creation approach is referred to as modelling-to-generate-alternatives (MGA). This article provides an efficient biologically-inspired algorithm that simultaneously generates multiple, maximally different alternatives by employing the Firefly Algorithm metaheuristic. The effectiveness of this algorithm is demonstrated on an engineering optimization benchmark test problem

Bio-Inspired Modelling to Generate Alternatives

2014 ◽  
pp. 361-371 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raha Imanirad ◽  
Julian Scott Yeomans
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Mathematical Programming ◽  
System Performance ◽  
Firefly Algorithm ◽  
Multiple Solution ◽  
Performance Criteria ◽  
Objective Measures ◽  
Solution Approach ◽  
Decision Variables ◽  
Design Requirements

“Real world” decision-making often involves complex problems that are riddled with incompatible and inconsistent performance objectives. These problems typically possess competing design requirements which are very difficult – if not impossible – to capture and quantify at the time that any supporting decision models are constructed. There are invariably unmodelled design issues, not apparent during the time of model construction, which can greatly impact the acceptability of the model's solutions. Consequently, when solving many practical mathematical programming applications, it is generally preferable to formulate numerous quantifiably good alternatives that provide very different perspectives to the problem. These alternatives should possess near-optimal objective measures with respect to all known modelled objectives, but be fundamentally different from each other in terms of the system structures characterized by their decision variables. This solution approach is referred to as modelling-to-generate-alternatives (MGA). This study demonstrates how the nature-inspired, Firefly Algorithm can be used to efficiently create multiple solution alternatives that both satisfy required system performance criteria and yet are maximally different in their decision spaces.

scholarly journals A Concurrent Modelling to Generate Alternatives Approach Using the Firefly Algorithm

2013 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 33-45 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raha Imanirad ◽  
Xin-She Yang ◽  
Julian Scott Yeomans
Keyword(s):  
System Performance ◽  
Firefly Algorithm ◽  
Multiple Solution ◽  
Performance Criteria ◽  
Objective Measures ◽  
Computationally Efficient ◽  
New Approach ◽  
Performance Requirements ◽  
Decision Variables ◽  
Performance Specifications

Real world” decision-making applications generally contain multifaceted performance requirements riddled with incongruent performance specifications. There are invariably unmodelled elements, not apparent during model construction, which can greatly impact the acceptability of the model’s solutions. Consequently, it is preferable to generate numerous alternatives that provide dissimilar approaches to the problem. These alternatives should possess near-optimal objective measures with respect to all known objective(s), but be maximally different from each other in terms of their decision variables. This maximally different solution creation approach is referred to as modelling-to-generate-alternatives (MGA). This study demonstrates how the Firefly Algorithm can concurrently create multiple solution alternatives that both satisfy required system performance criteria and yet are maximally different in their decision spaces. This new approach is computationally efficient, since it permits the concurrent generation of multiple, good solution alternatives in a single computational run rather than the multiple implementations required in previous MGA procedures.

scholarly journals Coupling Fuzzy Multi-Criteria Decision-Making and Clustering Algorithm for MSW Landfill Site Selection (Case Study: Lanzhou, China)

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 403
Author(s):  
Jiamin Liu ◽  
Yueshi Li ◽  
Bin Xiao ◽  
Jizong Jiao
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Clustering Algorithm ◽  
Fuzzy Membership Function ◽  
Multi Criteria Decision Making ◽  
Landfill Site Selection ◽  
Spatial Distribution Characteristics ◽  
Criteria Weights ◽  
Spatial Decision Making ◽  
Complex Decision

The siting of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) landfills is a complex decision process. Existing siting methods utilize expert scores to determine criteria weights, however, they ignore the uncertainty of data and criterion weights and the efficacy of results. In this study, a coupled fuzzy Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) approach was employed to site landfills in Lanzhou, a semi-arid valley basin city in China, to enhance the spatial decision-making process. Primarily, 21 criteria were identified in five groups through the Delphi method at 30 m resolution, then criteria weights were obtained by DEMATEL and ANP, and the optimal fuzzy membership function was determined for each evaluation criterion. Combined with GIS spatial analysis and the clustering algorithm, candidate sites that satisfied the landfill conditions were identified, and the spatial distribution characteristics were analyzed. These sites were subsequently ranked utilizing the MOORA, WASPAS, COPRAS, and TOPSIS methods to verify the reliability of the results by conducting sensitivity analysis. This study is different from the previous research that applied the MCDM approach in that fuzzy MCDM for weighting criteria is more reliable compared to the other common methods.

scholarly journals STANDARDISING MAINTENANCE JOBS TO IMPROVE GROUPING DECISION MAKING

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 2701-2710
Author(s):  
Julie Krogh Agergaard ◽  
Kristoffer Vandrup Sigsgaard ◽  
Niels Henrik Mortensen ◽  
Jingrui Ge ◽  
Kasper Barslund Hansen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Tacit Knowledge ◽  
True Variance ◽  
Complex Decision ◽  
Maintenance Decision ◽  
Maintenance Activities

AbstractMaintenance decision making is an important part of managing the costs, effectiveness and risk of maintenance. One way to improve maintenance efficiency without affecting the risk picture is to group maintenance jobs. Literature includes many examples of algorithms for the grouping of maintenance activities. However, the data is not always available, and with increasing plant complexity comes increasingly complex decision requirements, making it difficult to leave the decision making up to algorithms.This paper suggests a framework for the standardisation of maintenance data as an aid for maintenance experts to make decisions on maintenance grouping. The standardisation improves the basis for decisions, giving an overview of true variance within the available data. The goal of the framework is to make it simpler to apply tacit knowledge and make right decisions.Applying the framework in a case study showed that groups can be identified and reconfigured and potential savings easily estimated when maintenance jobs are standardised. The case study enabled an estimated 7%-9% saved on the number of hours spent on the investigated jobs.

scholarly journals Goal-driven active learning

2021 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicolas Bougie ◽  
Ryutaro Ichise
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Reinforcement Learning ◽  
Learning Process ◽  
Real World ◽  
Imitation Learning ◽  
Learning Approaches ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Fixed Set ◽  
Complex Decision Making ◽  
Complex Decision

AbstractDeep reinforcement learning methods have achieved significant successes in complex decision-making problems. In fact, they traditionally rely on well-designed extrinsic rewards, which limits their applicability to many real-world tasks where rewards are naturally sparse. While cloning behaviors provided by an expert is a promising approach to the exploration problem, learning from a fixed set of demonstrations may be impracticable due to lack of state coverage or distribution mismatch—when the learner’s goal deviates from the demonstrated behaviors. Besides, we are interested in learning how to reach a wide range of goals from the same set of demonstrations. In this work we propose a novel goal-conditioned method that leverages very small sets of goal-driven demonstrations to massively accelerate the learning process. Crucially, we introduce the concept of active goal-driven demonstrations to query the demonstrator only in hard-to-learn and uncertain regions of the state space. We further present a strategy for prioritizing sampling of goals where the disagreement between the expert and the policy is maximized. We evaluate our method on a variety of benchmark environments from the Mujoco domain. Experimental results show that our method outperforms prior imitation learning approaches in most of the tasks in terms of exploration efficiency and average scores.

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