Empirical convergence theory of harmony search algorithm for box-constrained discrete optimization of convex function

Abstract

The harmony search (HS) algorithm is an evolutionary computation technique, which was inspired by music improvisation. So far, it has been applied to various scientific and engineering optimization problems including project scheduling, structural design, energy system operation, car lane detection, ecological conservation, model parameter calibration, portfolio management, banking fraud detection, law enforcement, disease spread modeling, cancer detection, astronomical observation, music composition, fine art appreciation, and sudoku puzzle solving. While there are many application-oriented papers, only few papers exist on how HS performs for finding optimal solutions. Thus, this preliminary study proposes a new approach to show how HS converges on an optimal solution under specific conditions. Here, we introduce a distance concept and prove the convergence based on the empirical probability. Moreover, a numerical example is provided to eas-ily explain the theorem.