An ensemble multi-swarm teaching–learning-based optimization algorithm for function optimization and image segmentation.

Intelligent optimization algorithms are widely utilized to deal with complex optimization problems in various areas. However, a single intelligent optimization algorithm cannot handle well more and more complex optimization problems. The ensemble strategy can integrate several different operators and algorithms by using some appropriate strategies and maybe obtain better optimization performance. In this paper, a new ensemble multi-swarm method based on teaching–learning-based optimization (EMTLBO) was proposed by integrating three different algorithms including the original teaching–learning-based optimization algorithm, its variant with neighborhood search and the variant with differential evolution. In EMTLBO, a new evaluating mechanism based on the fitness-based and diversity-based metrics (FDEM) for each sub-swarm was proposed to evaluate the optimization performance after a continuous generation interval. Moreover, an algorithm matching mechanism based on ranking for sub-swarms (AMM) is adapted to re-divide the population into three sub-swarms and match a suitable algorithm for each sub-swarm so as to increase the whole optimization performance. Furthermore, the experimental results on CEC2014 and CEC2017 test suits verify the feasibility and optimization performance of EMTLBO. Finally, the proposed algorithm is extended to optimize the segmentation thresholds of images and the segmentation performances on different benchmark images show that EMTLBO has good performance in most cases. • A new evaluating mechanism was proposed to evaluate the optimization performance. • Algorithm matching mechanism is adopted to match a suitable algorithm for each sub-swarm. • The experimental results on CEC2014 and CEC2017 test suits verify EMTLBO. • The proposed EMTLBO algorithm is extended to deal with image segmentation problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]