Evolutionary Multi-Objective Optimization for the Dynamic Knapsack Problem

Evolutionary algorithms are bio-inspired algorithms that can easily adapt to changing environments. In this paper, we study single- and multi-objective baseline evolutionary algorithms for the classical knapsack problem where the capacity of the knapsack varies over time. We establish different benchmark scenarios where the capacity changes every $\tau$ iterations according to a uniform or normal distribution. Our experimental investigations analyze the behavior of our algorithms in terms of the magnitude of changes determined by parameters of the chosen distribution, the frequency determined by $\tau$, and the class of knapsack instance under consideration. Our results show that the multi-objective approaches using a population that caters for dynamic changes have a clear advantage in many benchmarks scenarios when the frequency of changes is not too high. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the distribution handling techniques in advance algorithms such as NSGA-II and SPEA2 do not necessarily result in better performance and even prevent these algorithms from finding good quality solutions in comparison with simple multi-objective approaches.

Runtime Analysis of Evolutionary Algorithms with Biased Mutation for the Multi-Objective Minimum Spanning Tree Problem

Evolutionary algorithms (EAs) are general-purpose problem solvers that usually perform an unbiased search. This is reasonable and desirable in a black-box scenario. For combinatorial optimization problems, often more knowledge about the structure of optimal solutions is given, which can be leveraged by means of biased search operators. We consider the Minimum Spanning Tree (MST) problem in a single- and multi-objective version, and introduce a biased mutation, which puts more emphasis on the selection of edges of low rank in terms of low domination number. We present example graphs where the biased mutation can significantly speed up the expected runtime until (Pareto-)optimal solutions are found. On the other hand, we demonstrate that bias can lead to exponential runtime if heavy edges are necessarily part of an optimal solution. However, on general graphs in the single-objective setting, we show that a combined mutation operator which decides for unbiased or biased edge selection in each step with equal probability exhibits a polynomial upper bound -- as unbiased mutation -- in the worst case and benefits from bias if the circumstances are favorable.

Runtime Analysis of RLS and EA for the Dynamic Weighted Vertex Cover Problem

In this paper, we perform theoretical analyses on the behaviour of an evolutionary algorithm and a randomised search algorithm for the dynamic vertex cover problem based on its dual formulation. The dynamic vertex cover problem has already been theoretically investigated to some extent and it has been shown that using its dual formulation to represent possible solutions can lead to a better approximation behaviour. We improve some of the existing results, i.e. we find a linear expected re-optimization time for a (1+1) EA to re-discover a 2-approximation when edges are dynamically deleted from the graph. Furthermore, we investigate a different setting for applying the dynamism to the problem, in which a dynamic change happens at each step with a probability $P_D$. We also expand these analyses to the weighted vertex cover problem, in which weights are assigned to vertices and the goal is to find a cover set with minimum total weight. Similar to the classical case, the dynamic changes that we consider on the weighted vertex cover problem are adding and removing edges to and from the graph. We aim at finding a maximal solution for the dual problem, which gives a 2-approximate solution for the vertex cover problem. This is equivalent to the maximal matching problem for the classical vertex cover problem.

Analysis of Baseline Evolutionary Algorithms for the Packing While Travelling Problem

Although the performance of base-line Evolutionary Algorithms (EAs) on linear functions has been studied rigorously, the same theoretical analyses on non-linear objectives are still far behind. In this paper, variations of the Packing While Travelling (PWT), also known as a non-linear knapsack problem, is considered to address this gap. We investigate PWT for two cities with correlated weights and profits using single-objective and multi-objective algorithms. Our results show that RLS finds the optimal solution in $O(n^3)$ expected time while the GSEMO enhanced with a specific selection operator to deal with exponential population size, calculates all the Pareto front solutions in the same expected time. In the case of uniform weights, (1+1)~EA is able to find the optimal solution in expected time $O(n^2\log{(\max\{n,p_{max}\})})$, where $p_{max}$ is the largest profit of the given items. We also validate the theoretical results using practical experiments and present estimation for expected running time according to the experiments.

Pareto Optimization for Subset Selection with Dynamic Cost Constraints

In this paper, we consider the subset selection problem for function $f$ with constraint bound $B$ which changes over time. We point out that adaptive variants of greedy approaches commonly used in the area of submodular optimization are not able to maintain their approximation quality. Investigating the recently introduced POMC Pareto optimization approach, we show that this algorithm efficiently computes a $\phi= (\alpha_f/2)(1-\frac{1}{e^{\alpha_f}})$-approximation, where $\alpha_f$ is the submodularity ratio of $f$, for each possible constraint bound $b \leq B$. Furthermore, we show that POMC is able to adapt its set of solutions quickly in the case that $B$ increases. Our experimental investigations for the influence maximization in social networks show the advantage of POMC over generalized greedy algorithms.

Analysis of Evolutionary Algorithms in Dynamic and Stochastic Environments

Many real-world optimization problems occur in environments that change dynamically or involve stochastic components. Evolutionary algorithms and other bio-inspired algorithms have been widely applied to dynamic and stochastic problems. This survey gives an overview of major theoretical developments in the area of runtime analysis for these problems. We review recent theoretical studies of evolutionary algorithms and ant colony optimization for problems where the objective functions or the constraints change over time. Furthermore, we consider stochastic problems under various noise models and point out some directions for future research.