Exploring Initialization Strategies for Metaheuristic Optimization: Case Study of the Set-Union Knapsack Problem

Abstract

In recent years, metaheuristic methods have shown remarkable efficacy in resolving complex combinatorial challenges across a broad spectrum of fields. Nevertheless, the escalating complexity of these problems necessitates the continuous development of innovative techniques to enhance the performance and reliability of these methods. This paper aims to contribute to this endeavor by examining the impact of solution initialization methods on the performance of a hybrid algorithm applied to the set union knapsack problem (SUKP). Three distinct solution initialization methods, random, greedy, and weighted, have been proposed and evaluated. These have been integrated within a sine cosine algorithm employing k-means as a binarization procedure. Through testing on medium- and large-sized SUKP instances, the study reveals that the solution initialization strategy influences the algorithm’s performance, with the weighted method consistently outperforming the other two. Additionally, the obtained results were benchmarked against various metaheuristics that have previously solved SUKP, showing favorable performance in this comparison.

Chaotic Binarization Schemes for Solving Combinatorial Optimization Problems Using Continuous Metaheuristics

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Feature Selection Problem and Metaheuristics: A Systematic Literature Review about Its Formulation, Evaluation and Applications

“…In this work, we were able to evidence of the complex and broad field of research related to feature selection. Metaheuristics are algorithms that play a significant role in different Combinatorial Optimization Problems such as Set Covering [216][217][218][219][220], Knapsack Problem [221,222] and Cell Formation Problem [223]. There is also a high interest in hybridizations and modifying native metaheuristics.…”