Continuous dynamic optimisation using evolutionary algorithms

Abstract

Evolutionary dynamic optimisation (EDO), or the study of applying evolutionary algorithms to dynamic optimisation problems (DOPs) is the focus of this thesis. Based on two comprehensive literature reviews on existing academic EDO research and real-world DOPs, this thesis for the first time identifies some important gaps in current academic research where some common types of problems and problem characteristics have not been covered. In an attempt to close some of these gaps, the thesis makes the following contributions: First, the thesis helps to characterise DOPs better by providing a new definition framework, two new sets of benchmark problems (for certain classes of continuous DOPs) and several new sets of performance measures (for certain classes of continuous DOPs). Second, the thesis studies continuous dynamic constrained optimisation problems (DCOPs), an important and common class of DOPs that have not been studied in EDO research. Contributions include developing novel optimisation approaches (with superior results to existing methods), analysing representative characteristics of DCOPs, identifying the strengths/weaknesses of existing methods and suggesting requirements for an algorithm to solve DCOPs effectively. Third, the thesis studies dynamic time-linkage optimisation problems (DTPs), another important and common class of DOPs that have not been well-studied in EDO research. Contributions include developing a new optimisation approach (with better results than existing methods in certain classes of DTPs), analysing the characteristics of DTPs and the strengths and weaknesses of existing EDO methods in solving certain classes of DTPs.