Surrogate model for continuous and discrete genetic optimization based on RBF networks

Abstract

Surrogate modelling has become a successful method improving the optimization of costly objective functions. It brings less accurate, but much faster means of evaluating candidate solutions. This paper describes a model based on radial basis function networks which takes into account both continuous and discrete variables. It shows the applicability of our surrogate model to the optimization of empirical objective functions for which mixing of discrete and continuous dimensions is typical. Results of testing with a genetic algorithm confirm considerably faster convergence in terms of the number of the original empirical fitness evaluations. © 2010 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.