Music-inspired harmony search algorithm: theory and applications

Xin-She Yang (auth.), Zong Woo Geem (eds.)364200184X, 9783642001840

Calculus has been used in solving many scientific and engineering problems. For optimization problems, however, the differential calculus technique sometimes has a drawback when the objective function is step-wise, discontinuous, or multi-modal, or when decision variables are discrete rather than continuous. Thus, researchers have recently turned their interests into metaheuristic algorithms that have been inspired by natural phenomena such as evolution, animal behavior, or metallic annealing.

This book especially focuses on a music-inspired metaheuristic algorithm, harmony search. Interestingly, there exists an analogy between music and optimization: each musical instrument corresponds to each decision variable; musical note corresponds to variable value; and harmony corresponds to solution vector. Just like musicians in Jazz improvisation play notes randomly or based on experiences in order to find fantastic harmony, variables in the harmony search algorithm have random values or previously-memorized good values in order to find optimal solution.

Table of contents :
Front Matter….Pages –
Harmony Search as a Metaheuristic Algorithm….Pages 1-14
Overview of Applications and Developments in the Harmony Search Algorithm….Pages 15-37
Harmony Search Methods for Multi-modal and Constrained Optimization….Pages 39-51
Solving NP-Complete Problems by Harmony Search….Pages 53-70
Harmony Search Applications in Mechanical, Chemical and Electrical Engineering….Pages 71-86
Optimum Design of Steel Skeleton Structures….Pages 87-112
Harmony Search Algorithms for Water and Environmental Systems….Pages 113-127
Identification of Groundwater Parameter Structure Using Harmony Search Algorithm….Pages 129-140
Modified Harmony Methods for Slope Stability Problems….Pages 141-162
Harmony Search Algorithm for Transport Energy Demand Modeling….Pages 163-172
Sound Classification in Hearing Aids by the Harmony Search Algorithm….Pages 173-188
Harmony Search in Therapeutic Medical Physics….Pages 189-203
Back Matter….Pages –