Fusion of Evolutionary Computation and Multidisciplinary Innovations for Emerging Optimization Challenges

A special issue of Mathematics (ISSN 2227-7390). This special issue belongs to the section "E: Applied Mathematics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 July 2026 | Viewed by 1251

Special Issue Editors

Information Initiative Center, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
Interests: evolutionary computation; metaheuristics; hyper-heuristics

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Guest Editor
Institute of Science and Technology, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
Interests: artificial intelligence; machine learning; deep learning; evolutionary computation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Over decades of development, evolutionary computation (EC) has established itself as a robust population-based optimization paradigm that operates independently of specific problem characteristics. It has demonstrated exceptional performance in tackling challenging problems, such as those in high-dimensional, non-linear, or multi-modal spaces, often outperforming classical mathematical optimization algorithms in terms of generality and practicality. Yet, optimization is an inherently dynamic field where advancements in problem complexity drive corresponding innovations in algorithmic design.

With the advent of the big data era and the rise of artificial intelligence, the characteristics of optimization problems are evolving rapidly. These shifts demand that EC algorithms adopt new, more efficient search strategies to address emerging challenges such as ultra-high dimensionality, excessive optimization costs, and extended computation times.

This Special Issue seeks to explore how techniques from other disciplines can be leveraged to overcome the current challenges in EC while extending its optimization principles to new areas. We welcome contributions that focus on integrating EC with other fields, whether they involve foundational research or practical applications. By fostering such interdisciplinary collaborations, we aim to push the boundaries of both EC and related disciplines, inspiring innovation and vitality across these domains.

Dr. Rui Zhong
Dr. Jun Yu
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • meta-/hyper-heuristics optimization
  • AI-driven optimization
  • optimization theory analysis
  • mathematical optimization algorithms
  • evolutionary computation
  • interdisciplinary applications

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

32 pages, 1830 KB  
Article
Pricing Optimization for High-Speed Railway Considering Hybrid Choice Behavior of Heterogeneous Passengers Under Stochastic Demand
by Yu Wang and Zhendong Wang
Mathematics 2025, 13(24), 3897; https://doi.org/10.3390/math13243897 - 5 Dec 2025
Viewed by 193
Abstract
Passenger heterogeneity in loyalty fundamentally influences their choice behaviors, and is pivotal to railway differentiated pricing. Thus, travelers are categorized into loyal passengers and non-loyal passengers. According to the generalized cost minimization, we identify a train priority sequence reflecting consistent preferences of loyal [...] Read more.
Passenger heterogeneity in loyalty fundamentally influences their choice behaviors, and is pivotal to railway differentiated pricing. Thus, travelers are categorized into loyal passengers and non-loyal passengers. According to the generalized cost minimization, we identify a train priority sequence reflecting consistent preferences of loyal passengers and establish a train selection probability model based on stochastic preferences of non-loyal passengers. Then, a hybrid choice model resulting from the distinct decision-making processes of these two passenger categories is formulated. A nonlinear pricing optimization model in the scenario of multiple train categories with multiple trains is established. An improved Particle Swarm Optimization algorithm based on the Sampling Fitness Strategy (SFS-PSO) is proposed to improve the solution accuracy. The SFS-PSO enhances the search diversity for the personal historical best positions and global best position without expanding the size of the particle swarm as much as possible. The case analysis demonstrates that the proposed pricing optimization approach can increase the expected revenue by 1.7%, validating the rationality of considering the hybrid choice behavior of passenger loyalty heterogeneity for the railway pricing optimization problem. Meanwhile, the case results highlighted the significant impact of the proportion of loyal passengers on revenue improvement. Full article
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25 pages, 3778 KB  
Article
Research on Path Planning for Mobile Robot Using the Enhanced Artificial Lemming Algorithm
by Pengju Qu, Xiaohui Song and Zhijin Zhou
Mathematics 2025, 13(21), 3533; https://doi.org/10.3390/math13213533 - 4 Nov 2025
Viewed by 586
Abstract
To address the key challenges in shortest path planning for known static obstacle maps—such as the tendency to converge to local optima in U-shaped/narrow obstacle regions, unbalanced computational efficiency, and suboptimal path quality—this paper presents an enhanced Artificial Lemming Algorithm (DMSALAs). The algorithm [...] Read more.
To address the key challenges in shortest path planning for known static obstacle maps—such as the tendency to converge to local optima in U-shaped/narrow obstacle regions, unbalanced computational efficiency, and suboptimal path quality—this paper presents an enhanced Artificial Lemming Algorithm (DMSALAs). The algorithm integrates a dynamic adaptive mechanism, a hybrid Nelder–Mead method, and a localized perturbation strategy to improve the search performance of ALAs. To validate DMSALAs efficacy, we conducted ablation studies and performance comparisons on the IEEE CEC 2017 and CEC 2022 benchmark suites. Furthermore, we evaluated the algorithm in mobile robot path planning scenarios, including simulated grid maps (10 × 10, 20 × 20, 30 × 30, 40 × 40) and a real-world experimental environment built by our team. These experiments confirm that DMSALAs effectively balance optimization accuracy and practical applicability in path planning problems. Full article
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