Harmony Search with Greedy Shuffle for Nurse Rostering

2012 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 22-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammed A. Awadallah ◽  
Ahamad Tajudin Khader ◽  
Mohammed Azmi Al-Betar ◽  
Asaju La’aro Bolaji
Keyword(s):  
Optimization Problem ◽  
Optimization Problems ◽  
Search Algorithm ◽  
Harmony Search ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Harmony Search Algorithm ◽  
Nurse Rostering ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Nurse Rostering Problem ◽  
Different Types

In this paper, a hybridization of Harmony Search Algorithm (HSA) with a greedy shuffle move is proposed for Nurse Rostering Problem (NRP). NRP is a combinatorial optimization problem that is tackled by assigning a set of nurses with different skills and contracts to different types of shifts, over a pre-determined scheduling period. HSA is a population-based method which mimics the improvisation process that has been successfully applied for a wide range of optimization problems. The performance of HSA is enhanced by hybridizing it with a greedy shuffle move. The proposed method is evaluated using a dataset defined in first International Nurse Rostering Competition (INRC2010). The hybrid HSA obtained the best results of the comparative methods in four datasets.

Harmony Search Algorithm and its Variants

2015 ◽  
Vol 29 (08) ◽  
pp. 1539001 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nazmul Siddique ◽  
Hojjat Adeli
Keyword(s):  
Heuristic Search ◽  
Optimization Problem ◽  
Heuristic Algorithms ◽  
Optimization Problems ◽  
Search Algorithm ◽  
Harmony Search ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Harmony Search Algorithm ◽  
Perfect State ◽  
The Past

In the past three decades nature-inspired and meta-heuristic algorithms have dominated the literature in the broad areas of search and optimization. Harmony search algorithm (HSA) is a music-inspired population-based meta-heuristic search and optimization algorithm. The concept behind the algorithm is to find a perfect state of harmony determined by aesthetic estimation. This paper starts with an overview of the harmonic phenomenon in music and music improvisation used by musicians and how it is applied to the optimization problem. The concept of harmony memory and its mathematical implementation are introduced. A review of HSA and its variants is presented. Guidelines from the literature on the choice of parameters used in HSA for effective solution of optimization problems are summarized.

HARMONY SEARCH WITH NOVEL SELECTION METHODS IN MEMORY CONSIDERATION FOR NURSE ROSTERING PROBLEM

2014 ◽  
Vol 31 (03) ◽  
pp. 1450014 ◽  
Author(s):  
MOHAMMED A. AWADALLAH ◽  
AHAMAD TAJUDIN KHADER ◽  
MOHAMMED AZMI AL-BETAR ◽  
ASAJU LA'ARO BOLAJI
Keyword(s):  
Search Algorithm ◽  
Harmony Search ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Harmony Search Algorithm ◽  
Nurse Rostering ◽  
Selection Methods ◽  
Nurse Rostering Problem ◽  
Speed Up ◽  
New Harmony ◽  
Survival Of The Fittest

The selection methods of population-based metaheuristics provide the driving force to generate good solutions. These selection methods select the individuals with a higher fitness to be members of the population in the next iteration correspond to the natural rule of Darwin's principle survival-of-the-fittest. Harmony search algorithm is a population-based metaheuristic, which mimicking the musical improvisation process where a group of musicians play the pitches of their musical instruments seeking for a pleasing harmony. It improvises the new harmony based on three rules: memory consideration, random consideration, and pitch adjustment. In this paper, we investigate the replacement of the original random selection of memory consideration with a set of selection methods in order to speed-up the convergence. These selection methods include tournament, proportional, and liner rank of Genetic Algorithm, and Global-best of Particle Swarm Optimization. The proposed harmony search with the different memory consideration selection methods evaluated using standard dataset published in the first International Nurse Rostering Competition INRC2010. Nurse rostering problem is a combinatorial optimization problem tackled by assigning a set of nurses with different skills to a set of shifts over predefined scheduling period. Experimentally, the tournament memory consideration selection method achieved the best rate of convergence as well as the best results in comparison with the other memory consideration selection methods.

Hybrid Harmony Search Algorithm for Global Optimization Problems

2014 ◽  
Vol 1065-1069 ◽  
pp. 3438-3441
Author(s):  
Guo Jun Li
Keyword(s):  
Global Optimization ◽  
Optimization Problems ◽  
Search Algorithm ◽  
Harmony Search ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Harmony Search Algorithm ◽  
Search Method ◽  
Local Optima ◽  
Population Based Algorithm ◽  
Better Than

Harmony search (HS) algorithm is a new population based algorithm, which imitates the phenomenon of musical improvisation process. Its own potential and shortage, one shortage is that it easily trapped into local optima. In this paper, a hybrid harmony search algorithm (HHS) is proposed based on the conception of swarm intelligence. HHS employed a local search method to replace the pitch adjusting operation, and designed an elitist preservation strategy to modify the selection operation. Experiment results demonstrated that the proposed method performs much better than the HS and its improved algorithms (IHS, GHS and NGHS).

Improved Harmony Search Algorithm for Solving Optimization Problem with Mixed Discrete Variables

2013 ◽  
Vol 325-326 ◽  
pp. 1485-1488
Author(s):  
Shi Ming Hao ◽  
Li Zhi Cheng
Keyword(s):  
Constrained Optimization ◽  
Optimization Design ◽  
Optimization Problem ◽  
Optimization Problems ◽  
Search Algorithm ◽  
Harmony Search ◽  
Harmony Search Algorithm ◽  
Continuous Variables ◽  
Discrete Variables ◽  
Decision Variables

The classical harmony search algorithm (HSA) can only be used to solve the unconstrained optimization problems with continuous decision variables. Therefore, the classical HSA is not suitable for solving an engineering optimization problem with mixed discrete variables. In order to improve the classical HSA, an engineering method for dealing with mixed discrete decision variables is introduced and an exact non-differentiable penalty function is used to transform the constrained optimization design model into an unconstrained mathematical model. Based on above improvements, a program of improved HSA is designed and it can be used for solving the constrained optimization design problems with continuous variables, integer variables and non-equidistant discrete variables. Finally, an optimization design example of single-stage cylindrical-gear reducer with mixed-discrete variables is given. The example shows that the designed program runs steadily and the proposed method is effective in engineering design.

A Comparative Study of Global-Best Harmony Search and Bat Algorithms on Optimization Problems

2013 ◽  
Vol 464 ◽  
pp. 352-357
Author(s):  
Pasura Aungkulanon
Keyword(s):  
Optimization Problems ◽  
Search Algorithm ◽  
Harmony Search ◽  
Computation Time ◽  
Finite Sequence ◽  
Bat Algorithm ◽  
Harmony Search Algorithm ◽  
Response Surfaces ◽  
Sample Mean ◽  
Constrained Problems

The engineering optimization problems are large and complex. Effective methods for solving these problems using a finite sequence of instructions can be categorized into optimization and meta-heuristics algorithms. Meta-heuristics techniques have been proved to solve various real world problems. In this study, a comparison of two meta-heuristic techniques, namely, Global-Best Harmony Search algorithm (GHSA) and Bat algorithm (BATA), for solving constrained optimization problems was carried out. GHSA and BATA are optimization algorithms inspired by the structure of harmony improvisation search process and social behavior of bat echolocation for decision direction. These algorithms were implemented under different natures of three optimization, which are single-peak, multi-peak and curved-ridge response surfaces. Moreover, both algorithms were also applied to constrained engineering problems. The results from non-linear continuous unconstrained functions in the context of response surface methodology and constrained problems can be shown that Bat algorithm seems to be better in terms of the sample mean and variance of design points yields and computation time.

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