A whale optimization algorithm with inertia weight
HONGPING HU YANPING BAI TING XU
School of Science
North University of China
Taiyuan,Shanxi,030051
CHINA
hhp92@163.com
Abstract: - Whale Optimization Algorithm (WOA) is a novel nature-inspired meta-heuristic optimization
algorithm proposed by Seyedali Mirjalili and Andrew Lewis in 2016, which mimics the social behavior of
humpback whales. A new control parameter, inertia weight, is introduced to tune the influence on the current
best solution, and an improved whale optimization algorithm(IWOA) is obtained. IWOA is tested with 31
high-dimensional continuous benchmark functions. The numerical results demonstrate that the proposed IWOA
is a powerful search algorithm. Optimization results prove that the proposed IWOA not only significantly
improves the basic whale optimization algorithm but also performs much better than both the artificial bee
colony algorithm(ABC) and the fruit fly optimization algorithm(FOA).
Key-Words: - whale optimization algorithm;artificial bee colony algorithm;fruit fly optimization algorithm;
inertia weight; benchmark functions
1 Introduction
The fruit fly optimization algorithm(FOA) first
proposed by Pan[1] in 2012, who provided an easy
and powerful approach to handle the complex
optimization problems, simulates the intelligent
foraging behavior of fruit flies or vinegar flies in
finding food. More and more researchers improve
FOA and apply FOA to different regions[2-4].
As a relatively new optimization method inspired
by swarm intelligence, artificial bee colony
algorithm (ABC) proposed by Karaboga [5] in 2005
imitates the foraging behavior of honeybees, which
consists of three kinds of honey bees:employed
bees, onlooker bees and scout bees. Since 2005,
researchers devote themselves to the search methods
and applications of ABC[6-10].
Besides the above two swarm intelligence
algorithms, there are other swarm intelligence
algorithms such as the ant colony
optimization(ACO) [11-12],genetic algorithm(GA)
[13-14] that simulates the Darwinian evolution,
particle swarm
optimization algorithm (PSO) [15-17,26-27],
Evolution Strategy(ES) [18-20], differential
evolution algorithm(DE)[21-22].
In 2016, Seyedali Mirjalili and Andrew Lewis
first propose a new meta-heuristic optimization
algorithm(namely, Whale Optimization Algorithm,
WOA) mimicking the hunting behavior of
humpback whales[23]. The following is the
knowledge of whale in brief.
Whales are considered as the biggest mammals
in the world. An adult whale can grow up to 30m
long and 180t weight. Whales are mostly considered
as predators, who never sleep because they have to
breathe from the surface of oceans, and half of
whose brain only sleeps. According to Hof and Van
Der Gucht [24] , whales have common cells in
certain areas of their brains similar to those of
human called spindle cells. These cells are
responsible for judgment, emotions, and social
behaviors in humans. It has been proven that whale
can think, learn, judge, communicate, and become
even emotional as a human does, but obviously with
a much lower level of smartness. Fig. 1 shows their
special hunting method of the humpback whales.
This foraging behavior is called bubble-net feeding
method[25]. Humpback whales prefer to hunt
school of krill or small fishes close to the
surface,whose foraging is done by creating
distinctive bubbles along a circle or ‘9’-shaped path
as shown in Fig. 1 .
Fig.1 Bubble-net feeding behavior of humpback whales
It is worth mentioning here that bubble-net
feeding is a unique behavior that can only be
observed in humpback whales.
WSEAS TRANSACTIONS on COMPUTERS
Hongping Hu, Yanping Bai, Ting Xu