A simplified biogeography-based optimization using a ring topology

Abstract

The paper proposes a new simplified version of biogeography-based optimization (BBO) algorithm. The original BBO is based on a global topology such that migration can occur between any pair of habitats (solutions), and we simplify it by using a local ring topology, where each habitat is only connected to two other habitats and the migration can only occur between neighboring habitats. The new strategy is quite easy to implement, but it contributes significantly to improving the search capability and preventing the habitats from being trapped in local optima. Computational experiment demonstrates the effectiveness of our approach on a set of benchmark problems. © 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.