A hybrid genetic algorithm with variable neighborhood search approach to the number partitioning problem

Abstract

The article presents a novel approach for solving the number partitioning problem. Our approach combines the use of genetic algorithms (GA) and Variable Neighborhood Search (VNS) resulting a new highly scalable hybrid GA-VNS (Genetic Algorithm with Variable Neighborhood Search), which runs the GA as the main algorithm and the VNS procedure for improving individuals within the population. The preliminary experimental results indicate that the GA-VNS hybrid algorithm performs significantly better, in terms of the solution quality, in comparison to the existing heuristic algorithms and to the pure GA for solving the number partitioning problem. © 2013 Springer-Verlag.