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The slime mould algorithm may not be enough and tends to trap into local optima, low population diversity, and suffers insufficient exploitation when real-world optimization problems become more complex. To overcome the limitations of SMA, the Gaussian mutation (GM) with a novel strategy is proposed to enhance SMA and it is named as SMA-GM. The GM is used to increase population diversity, which helps SMA come out of local optima and retain a robust local search capability. Additionally, the oscillatory parameter is updated and incorporated with GM to set the balance between exploration and exploitation. By using a greedy selection technique, this study retains an optimal slime mould position while ensuring the algorithm's rapid convergence. The SMA-GM performance was evaluated by using unconstrained, constrained, and CEC2022 benchmark functions. The results show that the proposed SMA-GM has a more robust capacity for global search, improved stability, a faster rate of convergence, and the ability to solve constrained optimization problems. Additionally, the Wilcoxon rank sum test illustrates that there is a significant difference between the optimization outcomes of SMA-GM and each compared algorithm. Furthermore, the engineering problem such as industrial refrigeration system (IRS), optimal operation of the alkylation unit problem, welded beam and tension/compression spring design problem are solved, and results prove that the proposed algorithm has a better optimization efficiency to reach the optimum value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optimization, particularly constrained optimization problems (COPs), is fundamental in engineering, influencing various sectors with its critical role in enhancing design efficiency, reducing experimental costs, and shortening testing cycles. This study explores the challenges inherent in COPs, with a focus on developing efficient solution methodologies under stringent constraints. Surrogate models, especially Gaussian Process Regression (GPR), are pivotal in our approach, enabling the approximation of complex systems with reduced computational demand. We evaluate the efficacy of the Efficient Global Optimization (EGO) algorithm, which synergizes GPR with the Expected Improvement (EI) function, and further extend this framework to Constrained Expected Improvement (CEI) and our novel methodology Constrained Expected Prediction Error (CEPE). We demonstrate the effectiveness of these methodologies by numerical benchmark simulations and the real-world application of optimizing a Three-Bar Truss Design. In essence, the innovative CEPE approach promises a potent balance between solution accuracy and computational prowess, offering significant potential in the broader engineering field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supply Chain (SC) Optimization is a key activity in today's industry with the goal of increasing operational efficiency, reducing costs, and improving customer satisfaction. Traditional optimization methods often struggle to effectively use resources while handling complex and dynamic Supply chain networks. This paper introduces a novel biomimetic metaheuristic algorithm called the Wombat Optimization Algorithm (WOA) for supply chain optimization. This algorithm replicates the natural behaviors observed in wombats living in the wild, particularly focusing on their foraging tactics and evasive maneuvers towards predators. The theory of WOA is described and then mathematically modeled in two phases: (i) exploration based on the simulation of wombat movements during foraging and trying to find food and (ii) exploitation based on simulating wombat movements when diving towards nearby tunnels to defend against its predators. The effectiveness of WOA in addressing optimization challenges is assessed by handling the CEC 2017 test suite across various problem dimensions, including 10, 30, 50, and 100. The findings of the optimization indicate that WOA demonstrates a strong ability to effectively manage exploration and exploitation, and maintains a balance between them throughout the search phase to deliver optimal solutions for optimization problems. A total of twelve well-known metaheuristic algorithms are called upon to test their performance against WOA in the optimization process. The outcomes of the simulations reveal that WOA outperforms the other algorithms, achieving superior results across most benchmark functions and securing the top ranking as the most efficient optimizer. Using a Wilcoxon rank sum test statistical analysis, it has been proven that WOA outperforms other algorithms significantly. WOA is put to the test with twenty-two constrained optimization problems from the CEC 2011 test suite and four engineering design problems to showcase its ability to solve real-world optimization problems. The results of the simulations demonstrate that WOA excels in real-world applications by delivering superior solutions and outperforming its competitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many practical problems can be classified as constrained multi-objective optimization problems. Although various methods have been proposed for solving constrained multi-objective optimization problems, there is still a lack of research considering the integration of multiple constraint handling techniques. Given this, this paper combines the objective and constraint separation method with the multi-operator method, proposing a population feasibility state guided autonomous constrained evolutionary optimization method. This method first defines the feasibility state of the population based on both feasibility and ε feasibility of the solutions. Subsequently, a reinforcement learning model is employed to construct a mapping model between the population state and reproduction operators. Finally, based on the real-time population state, the mapping model is utilized to recommend the promising reproduction operator for the next generation. This approach demonstrates significant performance improvement for ε constrained mechanisms in constrained multi-objective optimization algorithms, and shows considerable advantages in comparison with state-of-the-art constrained multi-objective optimization algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The biogeography-based optimization (BBO) algorithm is known for its simplicity and low computational overhead, but it often struggles with falling into local optima and slow convergence speed. Against this background, this work presents a multi-strategy enhanced BBO variant, named MSBBO. Firstly, the example chasing strategy is proposed to eliminate the destruction of the inferior solutions to superior solutions. Secondly, the heuristic crossover strategy is designed to enhance the search ability of the population. Finally, the prey search–attack strategy is used to balance the exploration and exploitation. To verify the performance of MSBBO, we compare it with standard BBO, seven BBO variants (PRBBO, BBOSB, HGBBO, FABBO, BLEHO, MPBBO and BBOIMAM) and seven meta-heuristic algorithms (GWO, WOA, SSA, ChOA, MPA, GJO and BWO) on multiple dimensions of 24 benchmark functions. It concludes that MSBBO significantly outperforms all competitors both on convergence accuracy, speed and stability, and MSBBO basically converges to the same results on 10,000 dimensions as on 1000 dimensions. Further, MSBBO is applied to six real-world engineering design problems. The experimental results show that our work is still more competitive than other latest optimization techniques (COA, EDO, OMA, SHO and SCSO) on constrained optimization problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A well-known first-order necessary condition for a point to be a local minimizer of a given function is the non-negativity of the dot product of the gradient and a vector in a feasible direction. This paper proposes a series of alternative first-order necessary conditions and corresponding first-order sufficient conditions that seem not to appear in standard texts. The conditions assume a nonzero gradient. The methods use extensions of the notions of gradient, differentiability, and twice differentiability. Examples, including one involving the Karush–Kuhn–Tucker (KKT) theorem, illustrate the scope of the conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A class of controlled objects is considered, the dynamics of which are determined by a vector system of ordinary differential equations with a partially known right-hand side. It is presumed that the state variables and their velocities can be measured. Designing a robust tracking controller under some constraints to admissible state variables is the research goal. This construction, which extends the results for the average subgradient technique (ASG), and is an update of the subgradient descent technique (SDM) and integral sliding mode (ISM) approach, is realized by using the Legendre–Fenchel transform. A two-link robot manipulator with three revolute joints, powered by individual PMDC motors, is presented as an illustrative example of the suggested approach implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among various network compression methods, network pruning has developed rapidly due to its superior compression performance. However, the trivial pruning threshold limits the compression performance of pruning. Most conventional pruning threshold methods are based on well-known hard or soft techniques that rely on time-consuming handcrafted tests or domain experience. To mitigate these issues, we propose a simple yet effective general pruning threshold method from an optimization point of view. Specifically, the pruning threshold problem is formulated as a constrained optimization program that minimizes the size of each layer. More importantly, our pruning threshold method together with conventional pruning works achieves a better performance across various pruning scenarios on many advanced benchmarks. Notably, for the L 1 -norm pruning algorithm with VGG-16, our method achieves higher FLOPs reductions without utilizing time-consuming sensibility analysis. The compression ratio boosts from 34% to 53%, which is a huge improvement. Similar experiments with ResNet-56 reveal that, even for compact networks, our method achieves competitive compression performance even without skipping any sensitive layers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given several nonnegative matrices with a single pattern of allocation among their zero/nonzero elements, the average matrix should have the same pattern, too. This is the first tenet of the pattern-multiplicative average (PMA) concept, while the second one suggests the multiplicative (or geometric) nature of averaging. The original concept of PMA was motivated by the practice of matrix population models as a tool to assess the population viability from long-term monitoring data. The task has reduced to searching for an approximate solution to an overdetermined system of polynomial equations for unknown elements of the average matrix (G), and hence to a nonlinear constrained minimization problem for the matrix norm. Former practical solutions faced certain technical problems, which required sophisticated algorithms but returned acceptable estimates. Now, we formulate (for the first time in ecological modeling and nonnegative matrix theory) the PMA problem as an eigenvalue approximation one and reduce it to a standard problem of linear programing (LP). The basic equation of averaging also determines the exact value of λ1(G), the dominant eigenvalue of matrix G, and the corresponding eigenvector. These are bound by the well-known linear equations, which enable an LP formulation of the former nonlinear problem. The LP approach is realized for 13 fixed-pattern matrices gained in a case study of Androsace albana, an alpine short-lived perennial, monitored on permanent plots over 14 years. A standard software routine reveals the unique exact solution, rather than an approximate one, to the PMA problem, which turns the LP approach into ''the best of versatile optimization tools". The exact solution turns out to be peculiar in reaching zero bounds for certain nonnegative entries of G, which deserves modified problem formulation separating the lower bounds from zero. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, we propose a novel model-based simultaneous multi-slice (SMS) reconstruction method by exploiting data-driven parameter modeling for highly accelerated T1 parameter quantification. We assume that the predefined slice-specific null space operator remains invariant along the parameter dimension. We incorporate the parameter dimension into SMS-HSL to exploit Hankel-structured and Casorati matrices. Given this consideration, the SMS signal is reformulated in k-p space as a constrained optimization problem that exploits rank deficiency for the Hankel-structured matrix and a finite-dimensional basis for a subspace containing slowly evolving signals in the parameter direction. The proposed model-based SMS reconstruction method is validated on in vivo data and compared with state-of-the-art methods with slice acceleration factors of 3 and 5, including an in-plane acceleration factor of 2. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method performs effective slice unfolding and signal recovery in reconstructed images and T1 maps with high precision as compared to the state-of-the-art methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces an innovative extension of the DIRECT algorithm specifically designed to solve global optimization problems that involve Lipschitz continuous functions subject to linear constraints. Our approach builds upon recent advancements in DIRECT-type algorithms, incorporating novel techniques for partitioning and selecting potential optimal hyper-rectangles. A key contribution lies in applying a new mapping technique to eliminate the infeasible region efficiently. This allows calculations to be performed only within the feasible region defined by linear constraints. We perform extensive tests using a diverse set of benchmark problems to evaluate the effectiveness and performance of the proposed algorithm compared to existing DIRECT solvers. Statistical analyses using Friedman and Wilcoxon tests demonstrate the superiority of a new algorithm in solving such problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current air cargo loading plan handles the Air Cargo Palletization Problem (ACPP) and the Aircraft Weight and Balance Problem (WBP) separately, which has an impact on the optimization of the payload and the aircraft's center of gravity (CG). Thanks to improvements in computer processing power, the joint combinatorial optimization of ACPP and WBP is now feasible. Three integer linear programming models are proposed: a Bi-objective Optimization Model (BOM), a Combinatorial Optimization Model (COM), and an Improved Combinatorial Optimization Model (IOM). The objectives of the models are the maximum loading capacity and the lowest CG deviation from a specified target CG. The models also consider a wide range of restrictions in the actual packing and stowage procedures, such as volume, weight, loading position, aircraft balance, and other aspects of aircraft and unit load devices. Four scenarios with various conditional metrics for three models are solved for the B777F aircraft using Gurobi. The results of the computations demonstrate that the BOM has the fastest solution speed, but the CG deviation is the largest, and in several cases the CG deviation results are unacceptable. The COM has the longest solution time, which is difficult to tolerate in practice. Despite taking a little longer to solve computationally than the BOM, the IOM offers the best optimization solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a new hybrid metaheuristic algorithm named Chaotic Sand Cat Swarm Optimization (CSCSO) is proposed for constrained and complex optimization problems. This algorithm combines the features of the recently introduced SCSO with the concept of chaos. The basic aim of the proposed algorithm is to integrate the chaos feature of non-recurring locations into SCSO's core search process to improve global search performance and convergence behavior. Thus, randomness in SCSO can be replaced by a chaotic map due to similar randomness features with better statistical and dynamic properties. In addition to these advantages, low search consistency, local optimum trap, inefficiency search, and low population diversity issues are also provided. In the proposed CSCSO, several chaotic maps are implemented for more efficient behavior in the exploration and exploitation phases. Experiments are conducted on a wide variety of well-known test functions to increase the reliability of the results, as well as real-world problems. In this study, the proposed algorithm was applied to a total of 39 functions and multidisciplinary problems. It found 76.3% better responses compared to a best-developed SCSO variant and other chaotic-based metaheuristics tested. This extensive experiment indicates that the CSCSO algorithm excels in providing acceptable results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We adopt the alternating direction search pattern method to solve the equality and inequality constrained nonlinear optimization problems. Firstly, a new augmented Lagrangian function with a nonlinear complementarity function is proposed to transform the original constrained problem into a new unconstrained problem. Under appropriate conditions, it has been proven that there is a 1-1 correspondence between the local and global optimal solutions of the new unconstrained problem and the original constrained problem. In this way, the optimal solution of the original problem can be obtained by solving the new unconstrained optimization problem. Furthermore, based on the characteristics of the new problem, the alternating direction pattern search method was designed and its convergence was demonstrated. Numerical experiments were implemented to illustrate the availability of the new augmented Lagrangian function and the algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this paper is to investigate a multi-objective linear quadratic Gaussian (LQG) control problem. Specifically, we examine an optimal control problem that minimizes a quadratic cost over a finite time horizon for linear stochastic systems subject to control energy constraints. To tackle this problem, we propose an efficient bisection line search algorithm that outperforms other approaches such as semidefinite programming in terms of computational efficiency. The primary idea behind our algorithm is to use the Lagrangian function and Karush–Kuhn–Tucker (KKT) optimality conditions to address the constrained optimization problem. The bisection line search is employed to search for the Lagrange multiplier. Furthermore, we provide numerical examples to illustrate the efficacy of our proposed methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the environmental uncertainties are taken into account when designing a robotic manipulator to balance the shaking force, shaking moment, and torque. The proposed robust balancing design approach does not consider the probability distributions of the uncertainties and is addressed without dependence on specific trajectories. This is expressed as a nonlinear constrained multiobjective optimization problem in which the nominal performance in the time-independent terms of the shaking force balancing, the shaking moment balancing, and the torque delivery, as well as their three sensitivities to uncertainties, are simultaneously optimized to provide a set of link shapes that match link mass distributions in a single stage. The proposal is applied to a three-degree-of-freedom serial-parallel manipulator, and the Non-Dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II (NSGA-II) is used to solve the associated problem. Comparative results with other design approaches reveal that the selected design achieves a suitable tradeoff in balancing the shaking force balancing, the shaking moment balancing, and the torque delivery and their sensitivities, leading to a reduction in their values and variations under mass changes in the manipulator end-effector with different operating conditions (tasks). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Competitive Swarm Optimizer (CSO) has emerged as a prominent technique for solving intricate optimization problems by updating only half of the population in each iteration. Despite its effectiveness, the CSO algorithm often exhibits a slow convergence rate and a tendency to become trapped in local optimal solutions, as is common among metaheuristic algorithms. To address these challenges, this paper proposes a hybrid approach combining the CSO with the Salp Swarm algorithm (SSA), CL-SSA, to increase the convergence rate and enhance search space exploration. The proposed approach involves a two-step process. In the first step, a pairwise competition mechanism is introduced to segregate the solutions into winners and losers. The winning population is updated through strong exploitation using the SSA algorithm. In the second step, non-winning solutions learn from the winners, achieving a balance between exploration and exploitation. The performance of the CL-SSA is evaluated on various benchmark functions, including the CEC2017 benchmark with dimensions 50 and 100, the CEC2008lsgo benchmark with dimensions 200, 500 and 1000, as well as a set of seven well-known constrained design challenges in various engineering domains defined in the CEC2020 conference. The CL-SSA is compared to other metaheuristics and advanced algorithms, and its results are analyzed through statistical tests such as the Friedman and Wilcoxon rank-sum tests. The statistical analysis demonstrates that the CL-SSA algorithm exhibits improved exploitation, exploration, and convergence patterns compared to other algorithms, including SSA and CSO, as well as popular algorithms. Furthermore, the proposed hybrid approach performs better in solving most test functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The optimal power flow problem is one of the most widely used problems in power system optimizations, which are multi-modal, non-linear, and constrained optimization problems. Effective constrained optimization methods can be considered in tackling the optimal power flow problems. In this paper, an ϵ -constrained method-based adaptive differential evolution is proposed to solve the optimal power flow problems. The ϵ -constrained method is improved to tackle the constraints, and a p-best selection method based on the constraint violation is implemented in the adaptive differential evolution. The single and multi-objective optimal power flow problems on the IEEE 30-bus test system are used to verify the effectiveness of the proposed and improved ε adaptive differential evolution algorithm. The comparison between state-of-the-art algorithms illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed and improved ε adaptive differential evolution algorithm. The proposed algorithm demonstrates improvements in nine out of ten cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The artificial Gorilla Troop Optimization (GTO) algorithm (GTO) is a metaheuristic optimization algorithm that simulates the social life of gorillas. This paper proposes three innovative strategies considering the GTO algorithm's insufficient convergence accuracy and low convergence speed. First, a shrinkage control factor fusion strategy is proposed to expand the search space and reduce search blindness by strengthening the communication between silverback gorillas and other gorillas to improve global optimization performance. Second, a sine cosine interaction fusion strategy based on closeness is proposed to stabilize the performance of silverback gorillas and other gorilla individuals and improve the convergence ability and speed of the algorithm. Finally, a gorilla individual difference identification strategy is proposed to reduce the difference between gorilla and silverback gorillas to improve the quality of the optimal solution. In order to verify the optimization effect of the modified artificial gorilla troop optimization (MGTO) algorithm, we used 23 classic benchmark functions, 30 CEC2014 benchmark functions, and 10 CEC2020 benchmark functions to test the performance of the proposed MGTO algorithm. In this study, we used a total of 63 functions for algorithm comparison. At the same time, we carried out the exploitation and exploration balance experiment of 30 CEC2014 and 10 CEC2020 functions for the MGTO algorithm. In addition, the MGTO algorithm was also applied to test seven practical engineering problems, and it achieved good results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article is aimed at the mathematical and optimization modeling of technological processes of surface treatments, specifically the zincing process. In surface engineering, it is necessary to eliminate the risk that the resulting product quality will not be in line with the reliability requirements or needs of customers. To date, a number of research studies deal with the applications of mathematical modeling and optimization methods to control technological processes and eliminate uncertainties in the technological response variables. The situation is somewhat different with the acid zinc plating process, and we perceive their lack more. This article reacts to the specific requirements from practice for the prescribed thickness and quality of the zinc layer deposited in the acid electrolyte, which stimulated our interest in creating a statistical nonlinear model predicting the thickness of the resulting zinc coating (ZC). The determination of optimal process conditions for acid galvanizing is a complex problem; therefore, we propose an effective solving strategy based on the (i) experiment performed by using the design of experiments (DOE) approach; (ii) exploratory and confirmatory statistical analysis of experimentally obtained data; (iii) nonlinear regression model development; (iv) implementation of nonlinear programming (NLP) methods by the usage of MATLAB toolboxes. The main goal is achieved—regression model for eight input variables, including their interactions, is developed (the coefficient of determination reaches the value of R2 = 0.959403); the optimal values of the factors acting during the zincing process to achieve the maximum thickness of the resulting protective zinc layer (the achieved optimum value th* = 12.7036 μm), are determined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) radar has acquired considerable attention as it offers an additional degree of freedom which results in performance gains when contrasted with the regular single antenna element radar system. Waveform optimization in MIMO radar is essential as it can offer tremendous improvements in target detection which are quantified in terms of reductions in the symbol error rate and improvements in target detection probability. In this work, we foster a strategy for the optimization of transmitter and receiver waveform in a collocated MIMO radar by only considering the second order statistics, thus relaxing the information of the instantaneous target states. Our contributions are primarily two-fold. First, we find a closed-form expression of the outage probability of an unknown target under clutter environment. For this prospect, we model the signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio in a canonical quadratic structure, and then utilize the modern residue theory approach to characterize the distribution function. Secondly, we propose constrained and unconstrained optimization problems for the reduction in outage probability using algorithmic techniques such as interior-point, sequential-quadratic programming, and the active-set method for the optimization of the transmitter and receiver waveform. We also provide simulated re-enactments to validate our hypothetical deductions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we study swarm intelligence computation for constrained optimization problems and propose a new hybrid PSO-DE algorithm based on feasibility rules. Establishing individual feasibility rules as a way to determine whether the position of an individual satisfies the constraint or violates the degree of the constraint, which will determine the choice of the individual optimal position and the global optimal position in the particle population. First, particle swarm optimization (PSO) is used to act on the top 50% of individuals with higher degree of constraint violation to update their velocity and position. Second, Differential Evolution (DE) is applied to act on the individual optimal position of each individual to form a new population. The current individual optimal position and the global optimal position are updated using the feasibility rules, thus forming a hybrid PSO-DE intelligent algorithm. Analyzing the convergence and complexity of PSO-DE. Finally, the performance of the PSO-DE algorithm is tested with 12 benchmark functions of constrained optimization and 57 engineering optimization problems, the numerical results show that the proposed algorithm has good accuracy, effectiveness and robustness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An improved hybrid firefly algorithm with probability attraction model (IHFAPA) is proposed to solve the problems of low computational efficiency and low computational accuracy in solving complex optimization problems. First, the method of square-root sequence was used to generate the initial population, so that the initial population had better population diversity. Second, an adaptive probabilistic attraction model is proposed to attract fireflies according to the brightness level of fireflies, which can minimize the brightness comparison times of the algorithm and moderate the attraction times of the algorithm. Thirdly, a new location update method is proposed, which not only overcomes the deficiency in that the relative attraction of two fireflies is close to 0 when the distance is long but also overcomes the deficiency that the relative attraction of two fireflies is close to infinity when the distance is small. In addition, a combinatorial variational operator based on selection probability is proposed to improve the exploration and exploitation ability of the firefly algorithm (FA). Later, a similarity removal operation is added to maintain the diversity of the population. Finally, experiments using CEC 2017 constrained optimization problems and four practical problems in engineering show that IHFAPA can effectively improve the quality of solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When trying to solve constrained optimization problems using deterministic, stochastic optimization methods or using a hybridization between them, penalty function methods are the most popular approach due to their simplicity and ease of implementation. Over the years, many researchers have been interested in obtaining solution procedures in variational (interval/fuzzy) analysis and robust control. The proposed approach penalty function is used to guide the hybrid gradient simulated annealing algorithm (GLMSA) to obtain a new algorithm (GHMSA) that finds the constrained optimization problem. Treanta and Das [[3]] introduced a new class of multi-dimensional robust optimization problems (named HT ht ) with mixed constraints, implying second-order partial differential equations (PDEs) and inequations (PDIs). [Extracted from the article]

The implicit midpoint rules are employed as a powerful numerical technique, and in this article we attend a class of viscosity iteration approximations on hierarchical problems for the implicit double midpoint rules. We prove the strong convergence theorem to the unique solution on hierarchical problem of this technique is established under some favorable conditions imposed on the control parameters in Hilbert spaces. Furthermore, we propose some applications to the constrained convex minimization problem, nonlinear Fredholm integral equation and variational inequality on fixed point problem. Moreover, some numerical examples are also presented to illustrate the different proposed methods and convergence results. Our results modified the implicit double midpoint rules with the hierarchical problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, an approach to achieve the anti-disturbance fault-tolerant constrained consensus is proposed for time-delay faulty multi-agent systems under semi-Markov switching topology. Firstly, an observer based on the coupled disturbance and fault information is designed to estimate the disturbance and failure at the same time. Next, because of the conservatism of the traditional H ∞ control method, a new performance index is constructed to replace the zero initial condition by making use of initial conditions. Then, the time-varying transfer rate is expressed as a convex combination by using the boundedness of transfer rate, so as to solve the numerical solution problem of time-varying transfer rate. On this basis, according to the performance requirements, an anti-disturbance fault-tolerant constrained consensus strategy is proposed. Finally, simulation results are given to verify the feasibility of the approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anypath routing is a hot research topic for QoS guarantee in wireless mesh networks (WMNs). According to time-varying characteristics of WMNs and the idea of anypath routing, a system network modeling method is proposed to address the multiple constrained optimization anypath problem. It focuses on the application of WMNs; under various QoS constraints, it satisfies a specific constraint and approaches other QoS constraints from an approximate perspective. A heuristic multi-constrained anypath algorithm with a time complexity as Dijkstra is proposed for the problem, and the algorithm is proved to be a K-1 approximation algorithm. The feasibility of the algorithm is verified, then its computational efficiency and performance are evaluated through simulation experiments, respectively. According to the application characteristics of wireless networks, the algorithm is suitable for WMNs and has good compatibility with existing routing protocols. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When solving complex constrained problems, how to efficiently utilize promising infeasible solutions is an essential issue because these promising infeasible solutions can significantly improve the diversity of algorithms. However, most existing constrained multi-objective evolutionary algorithms (CMOEAs) do not fully exploit these promising infeasible solutions. In order to solve this problem, a constrained multi-objective optimization evolutionary algorithm based on the dynamic constraint boundary method is proposed (CDCBM). The proposed algorithm continuously searches for promising infeasible solutions between UPF (the unconstrained Pareto front) and CPF (the constrained Pareto front) during the evolution process by the dynamically changing auxiliary population of the constraint boundary, which continuously provides supplementary evolutionary directions to the main population and improves the convergence and diversity of the main population. Extensive experiments on three well-known test suites and three real-world constrained multi-objective optimization problems demonstrate that CDCBM is more competitive than seven state-of-the-art CMOEAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given several nonnegative matrices with a single pattern of allocation among their zero/nonzero elements, the average matrix should have the same pattern as well. This is the first tenet of the pattern-multiplicative average (PMA) concept, while the second one suggests the multiplicative nature of averaging. The concept of PMA was motivated in a number of application fields, of which we consider the matrix population models and illustrate solving the PMA problem with several sets of model matrices calibrated in particular botanic case studies. The patterns of those matrices are typically nontrivial (they contain both zero and nonzero elements), the PMA problem thus having no exact solution for a fundamental reason (an overdetermined system of algebraic equations). Therefore, searching for the approximate solution reduces to a constrained minimization problem for the approximation error, the loss function in optimization terms. We consider two alternative types of the loss function and present a general algorithm of searching the optimal solution: basin-hopping global search, then local descents by the method of conjugate gradients or that of penalty functions. Theoretical disadvantages and practical limitations of both loss functions are discussed and illustrated with a number of practical examples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sand cat swarm optimization algorithm (SCSO) is a recently proposed metaheuristic optimization algorithm. It stimulates the hunting behavior of the sand cat, which attacks or searches for prey according to the sound frequency; each sand cat aims to catch better prey. Therefore, the sand cat will search for a better location to catch better prey. In the SCSO algorithm, each sand cat will gradually approach its prey, which makes the algorithm a strong exploitation ability. However, in the later stage of the SCSO algorithm, each sand cat is prone to fall into the local optimum, making it unable to find a better position. In order to improve the mobility of the sand cat and the exploration ability of the algorithm. In this paper, a modified sand cat swarm optimization (MSCSO) algorithm is proposed. The MSCSO algorithm adds a wandering strategy. When attacking or searching for prey, the sand cat will walk to find a better position. The MSCSO algorithm with a wandering strategy enhances the mobility of the sand cat and makes the algorithm have stronger global exploration ability. After that, the lens opposition-based learning strategy is added to enhance the global property of the algorithm so that the algorithm can converge faster. To evaluate the optimization effect of the MSCSO algorithm, we used 23 standard benchmark functions and CEC2014 benchmark functions to evaluate the optimization performance of the MSCSO algorithm. In the experiment, we analyzed the data statistics, convergence curve, Wilcoxon rank sum test, and box graph. Experiments show that the MSCSO algorithm with a walking strategy and a lens position-based learning strategy had a stronger exploration ability. Finally, the MSCSO algorithm was used to test seven engineering problems, which also verified the engineering practicability of the proposed algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stochastic renewable sources of energy have been causing changes in the structure and operation of power systems. High penetration of this type of generation results in decreased inertia of a power system, increased active power fluctuations, and a higher probability of false tripping of emergency control devices. Traditional algorithms of emergency control are not adaptable and flexible enough for systems with high penetration of renewables and flexible alternating current transmission systems. Integration and development of phasor measurement units make it possible to create adaptable emergency control systems, which would require minimal pre-defined data. The purpose of this study is to develop an adaptable algorithm of turbine fast valving control synthesis and transient stability estimation for a generator. The suggested algorithm is based on the equal area criterion in the domain synchronous generator Torque—Load angle. The measurements of the generator operation under consideration are used as the input data for the steam turbine fast valving control synthesis. Thus, the algorithm becomes adaptable because no pre-defined parameters of a power system model are required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The group teaching optimization algorithm (GTOA) is a meta heuristic optimization algorithm simulating the group teaching mechanism. The inspiration of GTOA comes from the group teaching mechanism. Each student will learn the knowledge obtained in the teacher phase, but each student's autonomy is weak. This paper considers that each student has different learning motivations. Elite students have strong self-learning ability, while ordinary students have general self-learning motivation. To solve this problem, this paper proposes a learning motivation strategy and adds random opposition-based learning and restart strategy to enhance the global performance of the optimization algorithm (MGTOA). In order to verify the optimization effect of MGTOA, 23 standard benchmark functions and 30 test functions of IEEE Evolutionary Computation 2014 (CEC2014) are adopted to verify the performance of the proposed MGTOA. In addition, MGTOA is also applied to six engineering problems for practical testing and achieved good results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surrogate modeling techniques are widely employed in solving constrained expensive black-box optimization problems. Therein, Kriging is among the most popular surrogates in which the trend function is considered as a constant mean. However, it also encounters several challenges related to capturing the overall trend with a relatively limited number of function evaluations as well as searching feasible points with complex or discontinuous feasible regions. To address this above issue, this paper presents an improved surrogate blind Kriging (IBK) and a combined infill strategy to find the optimal solution. According to enhancing the prediction accuracy of metamodels of objective and constraints, the high-order effects of regression function in the blind Kriging are identified by promising a variable selection technique. In addition, an infill strategy is developed based on the probability of feasibility, penalization, and constrained expected improvement for updating blind Kriging metamodels of the objective and constraints. At each iteration, two infill sample points are allocated at the positions to achieve improvement in optimality and feasibility. The IBK metamodels are updated by the newly-added infill sample points, which leads the proposed framework search to rapidly converge to the optimal solution. The performance and applicability of the proposed model are tested on several numerical benchmark problems via comparing with other metamodel-based constrained optimization methods. The obtained results indicate that IBK generally has a greater efficiency performance and outperforms the competitors in terms of a limited number of function evaluations. Finally, IBK is successfully applied to structural design optimization. The optimization results show that IBK is able to find the best feasible design with fewer evaluation functions compared with other studies, and this demonstrates the effectiveness and practicality of the proposed model for solving the constrained expensive black-box engineering design optimization problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Remora Optimization Algorithm (ROA) is a recent population-based algorithm that mimics the intelligent traveler behavior of Remora. However, the performance of ROA is barely satisfactory; it may be stuck in local optimal regions or has a slow convergence, especially in high dimensional complicated problems. To overcome these limitations, this paper develops an improved version of ROA called Enhanced ROA (EROA) using three different techniques: adaptive dynamic probability, SFO with Levy flight, and restart strategy. The performance of EROA is tested using two different benchmarks and seven real-world engineering problems. The statistical analysis and experimental results show the efficiency of EROA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a hybrid gradient simulated annealing algorithm is guided to solve the constrained optimization problem. In trying to solve constrained optimization problems using deterministic, stochastic optimization methods or hybridization between them, penalty function methods are the most popular approach due to their simplicity and ease of implementation. There are many approaches to handling the existence of the constraints in the constrained problem. The simulated-annealing algorithm (SA) is one of the most successful meta-heuristic strategies. On the other hand, the gradient method is the most inexpensive method among the deterministic methods. In previous literature, the hybrid gradient simulated annealing algorithm (GLMSA) has demonstrated efficiency and effectiveness to solve unconstrained optimization problems. In this paper, therefore, the GLMSA algorithm is generalized to solve the constrained optimization problems. Hence, a new approach penalty function is proposed to handle the existence of the constraints. The proposed approach penalty function is used to guide the hybrid gradient simulated annealing algorithm (GLMSA) to obtain a new algorithm (GHMSA) that finds the constrained optimization problem. The performance of the proposed algorithm is tested on several benchmark optimization test problems and some well-known engineering design problems with varying dimensions. Comprehensive comparisons against other methods in the literature are also presented. The results indicate that the proposed method is promising and competitive. The comparison results between the GHMSA and the other four state-Meta-heuristic algorithms indicate that the proposed GHMSA algorithm is competitive with, and in some cases superior to, other existing algorithms in terms of the quality, efficiency, convergence rate, and robustness of the final result. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sine cosine algorithm's main idea is the sine and cosine-based vacillation outwards or towards the best solution. The first main contribution of this paper proposes an enhanced version of the SCA algorithm called as ESCA algorithm. The supremacy of the proposed algorithm over a set of state-of-the-art algorithms in terms of solution accuracy and convergence speed will be demonstrated by experimental tests. When these algorithms are transferred to the business sector, they must meet time requirements dependent on the industrial process. If these temporal requirements are not met, an efficient solution is to speed them up by designing parallel algorithms. The second major contribution of this work is the design of several parallel algorithms for efficiently exploiting current multicore processor architectures. First, one-level synchronous and asynchronous parallel ESCA algorithms are designed. They have two favors; retain the proposed algorithm's behavior and provide excellent parallel performance by combining coarse-grained parallelism with fine-grained parallelism. Moreover, the parallel scalability of the proposed algorithms is further improved by employing a two-level parallel strategy. Indeed, the experimental results suggest that the one-level parallel ESCA algorithms reduce the computing time, on average, by 87.4% and 90.8%, respectively, using 12 physical processing cores. The two-level parallel algorithms provide extra reductions of the computing time by 91.4%, 93.1%, and 94.5% with 16, 20, and 24 processing cores, including physical and logical cores. Comparison analysis is carried out on 30 unconstrained benchmark functions and three challenging engineering design problems. The experimental outcomes show that the proposed ESCA algorithm behaves outstandingly well in terms of exploration and exploitation behaviors, local optima avoidance, and convergence speed toward the optimum. The overall performance of the proposed algorithm is statistically validated using three non-parametric statistical tests, namely Friedman, Friedman aligned, and Quade tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The performance of constrained multi-objective differential evolution algorithms (CMOEAs) is mainly determined by constraint handling techniques (CHTs) and their generation strategies. To realize the adaptive adjustment of CHTs and generation strategies, an adaptive constrained multi-objective differential evolution algorithm based on the state–action–reward–state–action (SARSA) approach (ACMODE) is introduced in the current study. In the proposed algorithm, the suitable CHT and the appropriate generation strategy can be automatically selected via a SARSA method. The performance of the proposed algorithm is compared with four other famous CMOEAs on five test suites. Experimental results show that the overall performance of the ACMODE is the best among all competitors, and the proposed algorithm is capable of selecting an appropriate CHT and a suitable generation strategy to solve a particular type of constrained multi-objective optimization problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents a multi-fidelity extension of a local line-search-based derivative-free algorithm for nonsmooth constrained optimization (MF-CS-DFN). The method is intended for use in the simulation-driven design optimization (SDDO) context, where multi-fidelity computations are used to evaluate the objective function. The proposed algorithm starts using low-fidelity evaluations and automatically switches to higher-fidelity evaluations based on the line-search step length. The multi-fidelity algorithm is driven by a suitably defined threshold and initialization values for the step length, which are associated to each fidelity level. These are selected to increase the accuracy of the objective evaluations while progressing to the optimal solution. The method is demonstrated for a multi-fidelity SDDO benchmark, namely pertaining to the hull-form optimization of a destroyer-type vessel, aiming at resistance minimization in calm water at fixed speed. Numerical simulations are based on a linear potential flow solver, where seven fidelity levels are used selecting systematically refined computational grids for the hull and the free surface. The method performance is assessed varying the steplength threshold and initialization approach. Specifically, four MF-CS-DFN setups are tested, and the optimization results are compared to its single-fidelity (high-fidelity-based) counterpart (CS-DFN). The MF-CS-DFN results are promising, achieving a resistance reduction of about 12% and showing a faster convergence than CS-DFN. Specifically, the MF extension is between one and two orders of magnitude faster than the original single-fidelity algorithm. For low computational budgets, MF-CS-DFN optimized designs exhibit a resistance that is about 6% lower than that achieved by CS-DFN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quadratically constrained quadratic programs (QCQP), which often appear in engineering practice and management science, and other fields, are investigated in this paper. By introducing appropriate auxiliary variables, QCQP can be transformed into its equivalent problem (EP) with non-linear equality constraints. After these equality constraints are relaxed, a series of linear relaxation subproblems with auxiliary variables and bound constraints are generated, which can determine the effective lower bound of the global optimal value of QCQP. To enhance the compactness of sub-rectangles and improve the ability to remove sub-rectangles, two rectangle-reduction strategies are employed. Besides, two ϵ -subproblem deletion rules are introduced to improve the convergence speed of the algorithm. Therefore, a relaxation and bound algorithm based on auxiliary variables are proposed to solve QCQP. Numerical experiments show that this algorithm is effective and feasible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Techniques and methods of linear optimization underwent a significant improvement in the 20th century which led to the development of reliable mixed integer linear programming (MILP) solvers. It would be useful if these solvers could handle mixed integer nonlinear programming (MINLP) problems. Piecewise linear approximation (PLA) is one of most popular methods used to transform nonlinear problems into linear ones. This paper will introduce PLA with brief a background and literature review, followed by describing our contribution before presenting the results of computational experiments and our findings. The goals of this paper are (a) improving PLA models by using nonuniform domain partitioning, and (b) proposing an idea of applying PLA partially on MINLP problems, making them easier to handle. The computational experiments were done using quadratically constrained quadratic programming (QCQP) and MIQCQP and they showed that problems under PLA with nonuniform partition resulted in more accurate solutions and required less time compared to PLA with uniform partition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The k-means problem has been paid much attention for many applications. In this paper, we define the uncertain constrained k-means problem and propose a (1 + ϵ) -approximate algorithm for the problem. First, a general mathematical model of the uncertain constrained k-means problem is proposed. Second, the random sampling properties of the uncertain constrained k-means problem are studied. This paper mainly studies the gap between the center of random sampling and the real center, which should be controlled within a given range with a large probability, so as to obtain the important sampling properties to solve this kind of problem. Finally, using mathematical induction, we assume that the first j − 1 cluster centers are obtained, so we only need to solve the j-th center. The algorithm has the elapsed time O ((1891 e k ϵ 2) 8 k / ϵ n d) , and outputs a collection of size O ((1891 e k ϵ 2) 8 k / ϵ n) of candidate sets including approximation centers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a new meta-heuristic called Jumping Spider Optimization Algorithm (JSOA), inspired by Arachnida Salticidae hunting habits. The proposed algorithm mimics the behavior of spiders in nature and mathematically models its hunting strategies: search, persecution, and jumping skills to get the prey. These strategies provide a fine balance between exploitation and exploration over the solution search space and solve global optimization problems. JSOA is tested with 20 well-known testbench mathematical problems taken from the literature. Further studies include the tuning of a Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) controller, the Selective harmonic elimination problem, and a few real-world single objective bound-constrained numerical optimization problems taken from CEC 2020. Additionally, the JSOA's performance is tested against several well-known bio-inspired algorithms taken from the literature. The statistical results show that the proposed algorithm outperforms recent literature algorithms and is capable to solve challenging real-world problems with unknown search space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the major limitations of evolutionary algorithms based on the Lebesgue measure for multi-objective optimization is the computational cost required to approximate the Pareto front of a problem. Nonetheless, the Pareto compliance property of the Lebesgue measure makes it one of the most investigated indicators in the design of indicator-based evolutionary algorithms (IBEAs). The main deficiency of IBEAs that use the Lebesgue measure is their computational cost which increases with the number of objectives of the problem. On this matter, the investigation presented in this paper introduces an evolutionary algorithm based on the Lebesgue measure to deal with box-constrained continuous multi-objective optimization problems. The proposed algorithm implicitly uses the regularity property of continuous multi-objective optimization problems that has suggested effectiveness when solving continuous problems with rough Pareto sets. On the other hand, the survival selection mechanism considers the local property of the Lebesgue measure, thus reducing the computational time in our algorithmic approach. The emerging indicator-based evolutionary algorithm is examined and compared versus three state-of-the-art multi-objective evolutionary algorithms based on the Lebesgue measure. In addition, we validate its performance on a set of artificial test problems with various characteristics, including multimodality, separability, and various Pareto front forms, incorporating concavity, convexity, and discontinuity. For a more exhaustive study, the proposed algorithm is evaluated in three real-world applications having four, five, and seven objective functions whose properties are unknown. We show the high competitiveness of our proposed approach, which, in many cases, improved the state-of-the-art indicator-based evolutionary algorithms on the multi-objective problems adopted in our investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Space-filling design selects points uniformly in the experimental space, bringing considerable flexibility to the complex-model-based and model-free data analysis. At present, space-filling designs mostly focus on regular spaces and continuous factors, with a lack of studies into the discrete factors and the constraints among factors. Most of the existing experimental design methods for qualitative factors are not applicable for discrete factors, since they ignore the potential order or spatial distance between discrete factors. This paper proposes a space-filling method, called maximum projection coordinate-exchange (MP-CE), taking into account both the diversity of factor types and the complexity of factor constraints. Specifically, the maximum projection criterion and distance criterion are introduced to capture the "bad" coordinates, and the coordinate-exchange and the optimization of experimental design are realized by solving one-dimensional constrained optimization problem. Meanwhile, by adding iterative perturbations to the traditional coordinate exchange process, the adjacent areas of the local optimal solution are explored and the optimum performances of the current optimal solution are retained, while the shortcomings of random restart are effectively avoided. Experiments in the regular space and constraint space, as well as experimental design for the terminal interception effectiveness of a missile defense system, show that the MP-CE method significantly outperforms existing popular space-filling design methods in terms of space-projection properties, while yielding comparable or superior space-filling properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The decreased demand for new vehicles will put pressure on the economy of the Czech Republic, a country deeply integrated into global value chains, as part of global vehicle production. The aim of this research was to define an appropriate industrial policy for the Czech Republic that will ensure that the country maintains its competitive position in the global market. A constrained optimization model was built, based on input–output analysis, to determine the optimal value-added structure and the intersectoral structure of the Czech economy for the country to retain its exporting character. The optimization problem was solved by using a particle swarm optimization algorithm. The results suggest that the optimal industrial policy plan for the country is the structural transformation of production, mainly targeting the development of technologically advanced sectors of manufacturing (such as: chemicals and chemical products; basic pharmaceutical products; computer, electronic, and optical products; electrical equipment; and machinery and equipment). The suggested restructuring process increased the domestic value-added in gross exports as a share of total exports by 6.77%, creating optimal production capabilities for the economy. The Czech Republic appears to have the potential for the implementation of an industrial policy, avoiding the increasingly vulnerable motor-vehicle sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper first proposes a new and enhanced second order cone programming relaxation using the simultaneous matrix diagonalization technique for the linearly constrained quadratic fractional programming problem. The problem has wide applications in statics, economics and signal processing. Thus, fast and effective algorithm is required. The enhanced second order cone programming relaxation improves the relaxation effect and computational efficiency compared to the classical second order cone programming relaxation. Moreover, although the bound quality of the enhanced second order cone programming relaxation is worse than that of the copositive relaxation, the computational efficiency is significantly enhanced. Then we present a global algorithm based on the branch and bound framework. Extensive numerical experiments show that the enhanced second order cone programming relaxation-based branch and bound algorithm globally solves the problem in less computing time than the copositive relaxation approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

HT ht I Optimizing a Multi-State Cold-Standby System With Multiple Vacations in the Repair and Loss of Units, i by Ruiz-Castro, J.E. MCMC methods are used for estimating the expectations of a probability measure HT ht , which need not be normalized. HT ht I Non-Homogeneous Markov Set Systems, i by P.-C.G. Vassiliou [[8]]. HT ht I Period-Life of a Branching Process with Migration and Continuous Time, i by Prysyazhnyk, K., Bazylevych, I., Mitkvova, L. and Ivanochko, I. [[9]]. [Extracted from the article]

We consider constrained optimization problems defined in the tropical algebra setting on a linearly ordered, algebraically complete (radicable) idempotent semifield (a semiring with idempotent addition and invertible multiplication). The problems are to minimize the objective functions given by tropical analogues of multivariate Puiseux polynomials, subject to box constraints on the variables. A technique for variable elimination is presented that converts the original optimization problem to a new one in which one variable is removed and the box constraint for this variable is modified. The novel approach may be thought of as an extension of the Fourier–Motzkin elimination method for systems of linear inequalities in ordered fields to the issue of polynomial optimization in ordered tropical semifields. We use this technique to develop a procedure to solve the problem in a finite number of iterations. The procedure includes two phases: backward elimination and forward substitution of variables. We describe the main steps of the procedure, discuss its computational complexity and present numerical examples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

State space model representation is widely used for the estimation of nonobservable (hidden) random variables when noisy observations of the associated stochastic process are available. In case the state vector is subject to constraints, the standard Kalman filtering algorithm can no longer be used in the estimation procedure, since it assumes the linearity of the model. This kind of issue is considered in what follows for the case of hidden variables that have to be non-negative. This restriction, which is common in many real applications, can be faced by describing the dynamic system of the hidden variables through non-negative definite quadratic forms. Such a model could describe any process where a positive component represents "gain", while the negative one represents "loss"; the observation is derived from the difference between the two components, which stands for the "surplus". Here, a thorough analysis of the conditions that have to be satisfied regarding the existence of non-negative estimations of the hidden variables is presented via the use of the Karush–Kuhn–Tucker conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work proposes a novel methodology for an optimization procedure extending the optimal point to an optimal area based on an uncertainty map of deterministic optimization. To do so, this work proposes the deductions of a likelihood-based test to draw confidence regions of population-based optimizations. A novel Constrained Sliding Particle Swarm Optimization algorithm is also proposed that can cope with the optimization procedures characterized by multi-local minima. There are two open issues in the optimization literature, uncertainty analysis of the deterministic optimization and application of meta-heuristic algorithms to solve multi-local minima problems. The proposed methodology was evaluated in a series of five benchmark tests. The results demonstrated that the methodology is able to identify all the local minima and the global one, if any. Moreover, it was able to draw the confidence regions of all minima found by the optimization algorithm, hence, extending the optimal point to an optimal region. Moreover, providing the set of decision variables that can give an optimal value, with statistical confidence. Finally, the methodology is evaluated to address a case study from chemical engineering; the optimization of a complex multifunctional process where separation and reaction are processed simultaneously, a true moving bed reactor. The method was able to efficiently identify the two possible optimal operating regions of this process. Therefore, proving the practical application of this methodology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]