Space mapping-based optimization with the macroscopic limit of interacting particle systems

We propose a space mapping-based optimization algorithm for microscopic interacting particle dynamics which are infeasible for direct optimization. This is of relevance for example in applications with bounded domains for which the microscopic optimization is difficult. The space mapping algorithm exploits the relationship of the microscopic description of the interacting particle system and a corresponding macroscopic description as partial differential equation in the “many particle limit”. We validate the approach with the help of a toy problem that allows for direct optimization. Then we study the performance of the algorithm in two applications. A pedestrian flow is considered and the transportation of goods on a conveyor belt is optimized. The numerical results underline the feasibility of the proposed algorithm.