Half mirror algorithm: a metaheuristic that hybridizes swarm intelligence and evolution-based system

Abstract

This paper promotes a new metaheuristic called the half mirror algorithm (HMA). As its name suggests, HMA offers a new kind of mirroring search. HMA is developed by hybridizing swarm intelligence and the evolution system. Swarm intelligence is adopted by constructing several autonomous agents called swarms. On the other hand, the evolution system is adopted using arithmetic crossover based on a particular reference called a mirror. Four mirrors are used in HMA: the best swarm member, a randomly selected swarm member, the central point of the space, and the corresponding swarm member. During the confrontative assessment, HMA is confronted with average and subtraction-based optimization (ASBO), total interaction algorithm (TIA), walrus optimization algorithm (WaOA), coati optimization algorithm (COA), and clouded leopard optimization (CLO). The result shows that HMA is superior to ASBO, TIA, WaOA, COA, and CLO in 20, 19, 19, 20, and 20 out of 23 functions, respectively. Moreover, HMA has found the global optimal of eight functions. It means the superiority of HMA occurs in almost entire functions. In the future, the mirroring search can be combined with the guided and neighborhood search to construct a more powerful metaheuristic.