Coupling particles swarm optimization for multimodal electromagnetic problems

Abstract

Particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm is designed to find a single global optimal point. However, the PSO needs to be modified in order to find multiple optimal points of a multimodal function. These modifications usually divide a swarm of particles into multiple subswarms; in turn, these subswarms try to find their own optimal point, resulting in multiple optimal points. In this work, we present a new PSO algorithm, called coupling PSO to find multiple optimal points of a multimodal function based on coupling particles. In the coupling PSO, each main particle may generate a new particle to form a couple, after which the couple searches its own optimal point using non-stop-moving PSO algorithm. We tested the suggested algorithm and other ones, such as clustering PSO and niche PSO, over three analytic functions. The coupling PSO algorithm was also applied to solve a significant benchmark problem, the TEAM workshop problem 22.