Tackling Large-Scale and Combinatorial Bi-level Problems with a Genetic Programming Hyper-heuristic

in IEEE Transactions on Evolutionary Computation (2019)

Combinatorial bi-level optimization remains a challenging topic, especially when the lower-level is a NP-hard problem. In this work, we tackle large-scale and combinatorial bi-level problems using GP ... [more ▼]

Combinatorial bi-level optimization remains a challenging topic, especially when the lower-level is a NP-hard problem. In this work, we tackle large-scale and combinatorial bi-level problems using GP Hyper-heuristics, i.e., an approach that permits to train heuristics like a machine learning model. Our contribution aims at targeting the intensive and complex lower-level optimizations that occur when solving a large-scale and combinatorial bi-level problem. For this purpose, we consider hyper-heuristics through heuristic generation. Using a GP hyper-heuristic approach, we train greedy heuristics in order to make them more reliable when encountering unseen lower-level instances that could be generated during bi-level optimization. To validate our approach referred to as GA+AGH, we tackle instances from the Bi-level Cloud Pricing Optimization Problem (BCPOP) that model the trading interactions between a cloud service provider and cloud service customers. Numerical results demonstrate the abilities of the trained heuristics to cope with the inherent nested structure that makes bi-level optimization problems so hard. Furthermore, it has been shown that training heuristics for lower-level optimization permits to outperform human-based heuristics and metaheuristics which constitute an excellent outcome for bi-level optimization. [less ▲]

Bayesian Optimization Approach of General Bi-level Problems

in Proceedings of the Genetic and Evolutionary Computation Conference Companion (2017)

A new modeling approach for the biobjective exact optimization of satellite payload configuration

in International Transactions in Operational Research (2017)

Hybrid mobility model with pheromones for UAV detection task

in Hybrid mobility model with pheromones for UAV detection task (2016)