Modeling, Analysis, and Applications in Metaheuristic Computing: Advancements and Trends

Two general approaches have evolved to construct algorithms to solve complex problems in engineering and business. One is a mathematical approach that is accurate but only applicable to small and certain types of problems. The other is problem-specific heuristics, which can be built up around most any problem, but the accuracy of which varies widely. Computer scientists, engineers of various sorts, and the odd business scholar describe metaheuristics, which levers the two conventional approaches. It allows a heuristic to search beyond the local optimality by taking advantage of strategic level problem solving using memory manipulation. Therefore, problem-specific operations do not have to be designed each time a new applications shows up, but the computational efficiency is still inherited from the embedded heuristic. Annotation ©2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)