The field of metaheuristics for the application to combinatorial optimization problems is a rapidly growing field of research. This is due to the importance of combinatorial optimization problems for the scientific as well as the industrial world. We give a survey of the nowadays most important metaheuristics from a conceptual point of view. We outline the different components and concepts that are used in the different metaheuristics in order to analyze their similarities and differences. Two very important concepts in metaheuristics are intensification and diversification. These are the two forces that largely determine the behaviour of a metaheuristic. They are in some way contrary but also complementary to each other. We introduce a framework, that we call the I&D frame, in order to put different intensification and diversification components into relation with each other. Outlining the advantages and disadvantages of different metaheuristic approaches we conclude by pointing out the importance of hybridization of metaheuristics as well as the integration of metaheuristics and other methods for optimization.

. A GRASP (greedy randomized adaptive search procedure) is a multi-start metaheuristic for combinatorial optimization. We study the probability distributions of solution time to a sub-optimal target value in five GRASPs that have appeared in the literature and for which source code is available. The distributions are estimated by running 12,000 independent runs of the heuristic. Standard methodology for graphical analysis is used to compare the empirical and theoretical distributions and estimate the parameters of the distributions. We conclude that the solution time to a sub-optimal target value fits a two-parameter exponential distribution. Hence, it is possible to achieve linear speed-up by implementing GRASP in parallel. 1. Introduction A greedy randomized adaptive search procedure (GRASP) [8, 9, 11] is a multistart or iterative process, in which each GRASP iteration consists of two phases. In a construction phase, a feasible solution is produced and in a local search phase, a loc...

In this paper, we consider the problem of finding a mixed upward planarization of a mixed graph, i.e., a graph with directed and undirected edges. The problem is a generalization of the planarization problem for undirected graphs and is motivated by several applications in graph drawing.

The maximum planar subgraph, maximum outerplanar subgraph, the thickness and outerthickness of a graph are all NP-complete optimization problems. Apptopinv is a program that contains different heuristic algorithms for these four problems: algorithms based on Hopcroft-Tarjan planarity testing algorithm, the spanning-tree heuristic and various algorithms based on the cactus-tree heuristic. Apptopinv contains also a simulated annealing algorithm that can be used to improve the solutions obtained from other heuristics. Most of the heuristics have also a greedy version. We have implemented graph generators for complete graphs, complete kpartite graphs, complete hypercubes, random graphs, random maximum planar and outerplanar graphs and random regular graphs. Apptopinv supports three different graph file formats. Apptopinv is written in C++ programming language for Linux-platform and GCC 2.95.3 compiler. To compile the program, a commercial LEDA algorithm

Abstract. GRASP (Greedy Randomized Adaptive Search Procedures) is a multistart metaheuristic for producing good-quality solutions of combinatorial optimization problems. Each GRASP iteration is usually made up of a construction phase, where a feasible solution is constructed, and a local search phase which starts at the constructed solution and applies iterative improvement until a locally optimal solution is found. While, in general, the construction phase of GRASP is a randomized greedy algorithm, other types of construction procedures have been proposed. Repeated applications of a construction procedure yields diverse starting solutions for the local search. This chapter gives an overview of GRASP describing its basic components and enhancements to the basic procedure, including reactive GRASP and intensification strategies. 1.

An improved genetic algorithm for solving the graph planarization problem is presented. The improved genetic algorithm which is designed to embed a graph on a plane, performs crossover and mutation conditionally instead of probability. The improved genetic algorithm is verified by a large number of simulation runs and compared with other algorithms. The experimental results show that the improved genetic algorithm performs remarkably well and outperforms its competitors.