Topic Editors

School of Computer Science, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an 710119, China
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA
Faculty of Engineering, University of Toyama, Toyama-shi 930-8555, Japan

Intelligent Optimization Algorithm: Theory and Applications

Abstract submission deadline
closed (18 December 2025)
Manuscript submission deadline
closed (28 February 2026)
Viewed by
15318

Topic Information

Dear Colleagues,

Intelligent optimization algorithms (IOAs) belong to a branch of artificial intelligence that emphasizes developing and using information learned from data to solve complex searching, learning, and simulation problems. Many real-world applications for complex industrial engineering or design problems could be modeled as searching, learning, and simulation problems. With the learning ability, IOAs are emerging approaches that utilize advanced computation power with meta-heuristics algorithms and massive data processing techniques. These approaches have been actively investigated and applied to many real-world applications, such as scheduling and logistics operations.

Intelligent optimization algorithms, learned from biological or social phenomena, involve the collection of search and optimization techniques. IOAs include bio-inspired intelligent algorithms, evolutionary computation methods, swarm intelligence, etc. With these methods, the optimization problems, which can be represented in any form, do not need to be mathematically represented as continuous and differentiable functions. The only requirement for representing optimization problems is to evaluate each individual as the termed fitness value. Therefore, IOAs could be utilized to solve more general optimization problems, especially for issues that are difficult to solve with traditional hill-climbing algorithms.

Real-world applications have complex properties. Massive data are collected and used in scheduling tasks to optimize route selection, taxi dispatching, dynamic transit bus scheduling, and other mobility services to improve operational efficiency. Another example is logistics, where material movements within and between supply chain entities, including warehouses, factories, distribution centers, and retail shops, are improved and optimized with advanced data-oriented techniques. Many applications of IOAs have been reported. However, more research should be conducted on the theory of IOAs. More efficient algorithms could be designed with the understanding of the search process on IOAs.

Due to the complexity of real-world applications, no one panacea can solve all troubles. IOAs are practical approaches to handling such complexity, utilizing evolutionary computation, swarm intelligence, and other meta-heuristic methods based on domain expert knowledge and experience.

Scope of the topic:

Submissions involving real-world case studies are encouraged in the following topics (but not limited to):

  • Artificial intelligence;
  • Deep learning;
  • Data mining;
  • Data-driven optimization methods;
  • Time-series forecasting;
  • Time-series anomaly detection;
  • Swarm intelligence;
  • Intelligent computing;
  • Bio-inspired algorithms, nature-inspired computing;
  • Computational intelligence and evolutionary algorithms;
  • Meta-heuristic algorithms;
  • Intelligent optimization algorithms;
  • Other related topics. 

Dr. Shi Cheng
Dr. Chaomin Luo
Prof. Dr. Shangce Gao
Topic Editors

Keywords

  • artificial intelligence
  • deep learning
  • swarm intelligence
  • data-driven optimization methods
  • time-series forecasting
  • computational intelligence and evolutionary algorithms
  • meta-heuristic algorithms
  • intelligent optimization algorithms
  • data mining
  • time-series anomaly detection

Participating Journals

Journal Name Impact Factor CiteScore Launched Year First Decision (median) APC
Algorithms
algorithms
2.6 5.4 2008 17.6 Days CHF 1800
AppliedMath
appliedmath
1.4 1.4 2021 20.4 Days CHF 1200
Computation
computation
2.6 5.2 2013 13.6 Days CHF 1800
Mathematics
mathematics
2.3 5.4 2013 17.4 Days CHF 2600
Symmetry
symmetry
2.2 5.2 2009 16.3 Days CHF 2400

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Published Papers (13 papers)

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15 pages, 916 KB  
Article
Object Re-Identification Method for Air-to-Ground Targets Based on Neighborhood Feature Centralization Attention
by Tian Yao, Yong Xu, Yue Ma, Hongtao Yan, Haihang Xu and An Wang
Computation 2026, 14(5), 96; https://doi.org/10.3390/computation14050096 - 22 Apr 2026
Viewed by 401
Abstract
To address the core challenges in air-to-ground target re-identification (ReID), including network focus on invalid background information, poor adaptability to nonlinear feature distribution, and insufficient cross-domain generalization, this paper proposes a novel air-to-ground ReID framework based on Neighborhood Feature Centralization Attention (NFCA). On [...] Read more.
To address the core challenges in air-to-ground target re-identification (ReID), including network focus on invalid background information, poor adaptability to nonlinear feature distribution, and insufficient cross-domain generalization, this paper proposes a novel air-to-ground ReID framework based on Neighborhood Feature Centralization Attention (NFCA). On the basis of Coordinate Attention, the framework introduces a parameter-free Neighborhood Feature Centralization mechanism to build a lightweight attention module, which enhances cross-feature semantic interaction and suppresses background noise while retaining precise position encoding. It achieves end-to-end direct optimization of sample pair similarity through binary cross-entropy loss, eliminating the proxy task bias of traditional classification loss and adapting to the nonlinear structure of feature space. A multi-source data-driven training strategy is constructed by fusing ReID datasets and general classification datasets, which expands the coverage of feature space and narrows the distribution gap between training data and real air-to-ground scenarios without additional manual annotation. Experiments show that the proposed method achieves leading mAP values on the self-developed UAV air-to-ground dataset JC-1, the public person ReID dataset Market-1501, and the public vehicle ReID dataset VehicleID. Sufficient statistical validation, ablation experiments and cross-domain tests verify the advancement, reliability and generalization of the proposed method in complex air-to-ground scenarios. Full article
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36 pages, 582 KB  
Article
A New Algorithm for Finding Initial Basic Feasible Solutions of Transportation Problems
by Douglas Kwasi Boah, Suleman Abudu Fiele and Christian John Etwire
AppliedMath 2026, 6(4), 58; https://doi.org/10.3390/appliedmath6040058 - 9 Apr 2026
Viewed by 771
Abstract
This study introduces a deterministic fractional-penalty refinement of Vogel’s Approximation Method (VAM) for generating high-quality initial basic feasible solutions (IBFS) in classical transportation problems. Unlike the traditional additive regret measure employed in VAM, the proposed method uses a multiplicative contrast ratio between the [...] Read more.
This study introduces a deterministic fractional-penalty refinement of Vogel’s Approximation Method (VAM) for generating high-quality initial basic feasible solutions (IBFS) in classical transportation problems. Unlike the traditional additive regret measure employed in VAM, the proposed method uses a multiplicative contrast ratio between the two smallest admissible costs in each row and column. This modification preserves the allocation structure of VAM while introducing scale-invariant prioritization that improves sensitivity to relative cost differences.The method was evaluated on thirty-four benchmark transportation problems drawn from the literature and self-constructed large-scale instances (up to 10×20). Performance was assessed using percentage optimality gaps relative to optimal solutions obtained via the Stepping–Stone and MODI procedures. Across all instances, the proposed approach achieved a mean optimality gap of 2.78%, compared to 5.22% for classical VAM, 14.97% for the Least Cost Method (LCM), and 45.78% for the Northwest Corner Method (NWCM). Dispersion of deviations was also reduced, indicating improved robustness across heterogeneous cost structures Statistical validation confirms the improvement over VAM: the paired t-test yielded t=3.17 (p=0.00163, one-sided), and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test produced p=6.10×105. Computational experiments further show that the refinement does not increase runtime relative to classical IBFS procedures.The proposed method therefore constitutes a structured enhancement of VAM that improves initial solution quality while maintaining computational simplicity. Full article
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19 pages, 2404 KB  
Article
Flight Schedule Problem Optimization Based on Discrete Memory-Enhanced Restructured Particle Swarm Optimization Algorithm
by Wei Gao, Bingnan Wu, Jianhua Liu and Daoming Tang
Algorithms 2026, 19(3), 233; https://doi.org/10.3390/a19030233 - 19 Mar 2026
Viewed by 582
Abstract
Flight Schedule Problem optimization is a typical NP-hard combinatorial optimization problem that is challenging to solve using traditional algorithms, so metaheuristic algorithms are commonly adopted for such problems. This paper proposes a Discrete Memory-Enhanced Restructured Particle Swarm Optimization algorithm (DMERPSO) to address Flight [...] Read more.
Flight Schedule Problem optimization is a typical NP-hard combinatorial optimization problem that is challenging to solve using traditional algorithms, so metaheuristic algorithms are commonly adopted for such problems. This paper proposes a Discrete Memory-Enhanced Restructured Particle Swarm Optimization algorithm (DMERPSO) to address Flight Scheduling Problem optimization. Firstly, this paper designs a hybrid particle encoding scheme capable of simultaneously handling flight time adjustments (integer variables) and route selections (categorical variables) for the Flight Schedule Problem. Secondly, a new update equation of particle positions is provided based on probability selection within the three terms of the Memory-Enhanced Restructured Particle Swarm Optimization (MERPSO) algorithm, and the calculation of the selection probability is designed. Thirdly, the two strategies and perturbation terms of MERPSO are improved in order to be adapted to optimize the discrete Flight Schedule Problem. Finally, simulation experiments are conducted using DMERPSO based on real flight data from multiple Chinese airports with the objective of minimizing total flight delays, leading to better solutions that are faster than various benchmark algorithms. The DMERPSO algorithm exhibits significant advantages in reducing total delays, improving solution stability, and enhancing robustness, which validates that DMERPSO provides an effective new approach for solving Flight Schedule Problem optimization problems. Full article
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25 pages, 1508 KB  
Article
Solving Bilevel Multi-Robot Cooperative Path Planning Problems via a Memetic Framework
by Zhixin Wang, Shi Cheng, Yifei Sun, Sicheng Hou and Mingming Zhang
Symmetry 2026, 18(3), 499; https://doi.org/10.3390/sym18030499 - 14 Mar 2026
Viewed by 383
Abstract
With the increasing use of multi-robot systems in emergency scenarios, collaborative path planning for robots has attracted greater attention. The multi-robot path-planning problem was modeled as a bilevel cooperative path planning model and solved using a memetic algorithm with a dynamic window approach [...] Read more.
With the increasing use of multi-robot systems in emergency scenarios, collaborative path planning for robots has attracted greater attention. The multi-robot path-planning problem was modeled as a bilevel cooperative path planning model and solved using a memetic algorithm with a dynamic window approach and a parking scheduling strategy (MA-DWAPSS). The bilevel path planning model has divided the problem into two parts: global (static) path planning to find a near-optimal route and dynamic path planning to avoid path conflicts. Corresponding to the proposed MA-DWAPSS method, an improved memetic algorithm was developed based on genetic algorithm to find an optimal global path and a cubic Bézier curve to smooth the path and avoid sharp turns. The dynamic window approach (DWA) and parking scheduling strategy (PSS) obtain real-time sensor data and coordinate the docking and movement of robots in dynamic environments, handling obstacles in real time and preventing conflicts or unnecessary stops to improve efficiency. DWA further accounts for the dynamic characteristics of robot motion, making the path planning flexible and adaptive to rapid environmental changes. Simulation results show that the proposed method outperforms three other algorithms in path distance, time, obstacle avoidance, and smoothness. Full article
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27 pages, 3226 KB  
Article
Dynamic Interval Prediction of Subway Passenger Flow Using a Symmetry-Enhanced Hybrid FIG-ICPO-XGBoost Model
by Qingling He, Yifan Feng, Lin Ma, Xiaojuan Lu, Jiamei Zhang and Changxi Ma
Symmetry 2026, 18(2), 288; https://doi.org/10.3390/sym18020288 - 4 Feb 2026
Viewed by 399
Abstract
To address the challenges of characterizing subway passenger flow fluctuations and overcoming the slow convergence and significant errors of existing intelligent optimization algorithms in tuning deep learning parameters for flow prediction, this study proposes a novel subway passenger flow fluctuation interval prediction model [...] Read more.
To address the challenges of characterizing subway passenger flow fluctuations and overcoming the slow convergence and significant errors of existing intelligent optimization algorithms in tuning deep learning parameters for flow prediction, this study proposes a novel subway passenger flow fluctuation interval prediction model based on a Symmetry-Enhanced FIG-ICPO-XGBoost model. The core innovation is an Improved Cheetah Optimization Algorithm (ICPO), which incorporates enhancements including Circle mapping for population initialization, a hybrid strategy of dimension-by-dimension pinhole imaging opposition-based learning and Cauchy mutation to escape local optima, and adaptive variable spiral search with inertia weight to balance exploration and exploitation. The construction of this methodology embodies the concept of symmetry in algorithm design. For instance, Circle mapping achieves uniformity and ergodicity in the initial distribution of the population within the solution space, reflecting the symmetric principle of spatial coverage. Dimension-by-dimension pinhole imaging opposition-based learning generates opposite solutions through the principle of mirror symmetry, effectively expanding the search space. The adaptive variable spiral search strategy dynamically adjusts the spiral shape, simulating the symmetric relationship of dynamic balance between exploration and exploitation. Utilizing fuzzy-granulated passenger flow data (LOW, R, UP) from Harbin, the ICPO was employed to optimize XGBoost hyperparameters. Experimental results demonstrate the superior performance of the ICPO on 12 benchmark functions. The ICPO-XGBoost model achieves mean MAE, RMSE, and MAPE values of 10,291, 10,612, and 5.8%, respectively, for the predictions of the LOW, R, and UP datasets. Compared to existing models such as CPO-XGBoost, PSO-BiLSTM, GA-BP, and CNN-LSTM, these values represent improvements ranging from 4541 to 13,161 for MAE, 5258 to 14,613 for RMSE, and 2.6% to 7.2% for MAPE. The proposed model provides a reliable theoretical and data-driven foundation for optimizing subway train schedules and station passenger flow management. Full article
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29 pages, 4367 KB  
Article
SARIMA vs. Prophet: Comparative Efficacy in Forecasting Traffic Accidents Across Ecuadorian Provinces
by Wilson Chango, Ana Salguero, Tatiana Landivar, Roberto Vásconez, Geovanny Silva, Pedro Peñafiel-Arcos, Lucía Núñez and Homero Velasteguí-Izurieta
Computation 2026, 14(1), 5; https://doi.org/10.3390/computation14010005 - 31 Dec 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1768
Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate the comparative predictive efficacy of the SARIMA statistical model and the Prophet machine learning model for forecasting monthly traffic accidents across the 24 provinces of Ecuador, addressing a critical research gap in model selection for geographically and socioeconomically [...] Read more.
This study aimed to evaluate the comparative predictive efficacy of the SARIMA statistical model and the Prophet machine learning model for forecasting monthly traffic accidents across the 24 provinces of Ecuador, addressing a critical research gap in model selection for geographically and socioeconomically heterogeneous regions. By integrating classical time series modeling with algorithmic decomposition techniques, the research sought to determine whether a universally superior model exists or if predictive performance is inherently context-dependent. Monthly accident data from January 2013 to June 2025 were analyzed using a rolling-window evaluation framework. Model accuracy was assessed through Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) and Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) metrics to ensure consistency and comparability across provinces. The results revealed a global tie, with 12 provinces favoring SARIMA and 12 favoring Prophet, indicating the absence of a single dominant model. However, regional patterns of superiority emerged: Prophet achieved exceptional precision in coastal and urban provinces with stationary and high-volume time series—such as Guayas, which recorded the lowest MAPE (4.91%)—while SARIMA outperformed Prophet in the Andean highlands, particularly in non-stationary, medium-to-high-volume provinces such as Tungurahua (MAPE 6.07%) and Pichincha (MAPE 13.38%). Computational instability in MAPE was noted for provinces with extremely low accident counts (e.g., Galápagos, Carchi), though RMSE values remained low, indicating a metric rather than model limitation. Overall, the findings invalidate the notion of a universally optimal model and underscore the necessity of adopting adaptive, region-specific modeling frameworks that account for local geographic, demographic, and structural factors in predictive road safety analytics. Full article
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28 pages, 16312 KB  
Article
PS-InSAR Monitoring Integrated with a Bayesian-Optimized CNN–LSTM for Predicting Surface Subsidence in Complex Mining Goafs Under a Symmetry Perspective
by Tianlong Su, Linxin Zhang, Xuzhao Yuan, Xiaoquan Li, Xuefeng Li, Xuxing Huang, Zheng Huang and Danhua Zhu
Symmetry 2025, 17(12), 2152; https://doi.org/10.3390/sym17122152 - 14 Dec 2025
Viewed by 1112
Abstract
Mine-induced surface subsidence threatens infrastructure and can trigger cascading geohazards, so accurate and computationally efficient monitoring and forecasting are essential for early warning. We integrate Persistent Scatterer InSAR (PS-InSAR) time series with a Bayesian-optimized CNN–LSTM designed for spatiotemporal prediction. The CNN extracts spatial [...] Read more.
Mine-induced surface subsidence threatens infrastructure and can trigger cascading geohazards, so accurate and computationally efficient monitoring and forecasting are essential for early warning. We integrate Persistent Scatterer InSAR (PS-InSAR) time series with a Bayesian-optimized CNN–LSTM designed for spatiotemporal prediction. The CNN extracts spatial deformation patterns, the LSTM models temporal dependence, and Bayesian optimization selects the architecture, training hyperparameters, and the most informative exogenous drivers. Groundwater level and backfilling intensity are encoded as multichannel inputs. Endpoint anchoring with affine calibration aligns the historical series and the forward projections. PS-InSAR indicates a maximum subsidence rate of 85.6 mm yr−1, and the estimates are corroborated against nearby leveling benchmarks and FLAC3D simulations. Cross-site comparisons show acceleration followed by deceleration after backfilling and groundwater recovery, which is consistent with geological engineering conditions. A symmetry-aware preprocessing step exploits axial regularities of the deformation field through mirroring augmentation and documents symmetry-breaking hotspots linked to geological heterogeneity. These choices improve generalization to shifted and oscillatory patterns in both the spatial CNN and the temporal LSTM branches. Short-term forecasts from the BO–CNN–LSTM indicate subsequent stabilization with localized rebound, highlighting its practical value for operational planning and risk mitigation. The framework combines automated hyperparameter search with physically consistent objectives, reduces manual tuning, enhances reproducibility and generalizability, and provides a transferable quantitative workflow for forecasting mine-induced deformation in complex goaf systems. Full article
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20 pages, 608 KB  
Article
mDA: Evolutionary Machine Learning Algorithm for Feature Selection in Medical Domain
by Ibrahim Aljarah, Abdullah Alzaqebah, Nailah Al-Madi, Ala’ M. Al-Zoubi and Amro Saleh
Computation 2025, 13(12), 292; https://doi.org/10.3390/computation13120292 - 13 Dec 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1045
Abstract
The rapid expansion of medical data, characterized by its complex high-dimensional attributes, presents numerous promising opportunities and substantial challenges in healthcare analytics. Adopting effective feature selection techniques is essential to take advantage of the potential of such data. This research presents a modified [...] Read more.
The rapid expansion of medical data, characterized by its complex high-dimensional attributes, presents numerous promising opportunities and substantial challenges in healthcare analytics. Adopting effective feature selection techniques is essential to take advantage of the potential of such data. This research presents a modified algorithm called (mDA), which is the hybrid algorithm between the Evolutionary Population Dynamics and the Dragonfly Algorithm. This method combines Evolutionary Population Dynamics’s strength with the Dragonfly Algorithm’s flexible capabilities, offering a robust evolutionary machine learning approach specifically designed for medical data analysis. By integrating the dynamic population modeling of Evolutionary Population Dynamics with the adaptive search techniques of Dragonfly Algorithm, the proposed mDA significantly improves accuracy, reduces the number of features, and obtains the minimum average of the fitness scores. Comparative experiments conducted on seven diverse medical datasets against other established algorithms confirm the superior performance of the proposed mDA, establishing it as a valuable approach in examining complex medical data. Full article
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26 pages, 3560 KB  
Article
Intelligent Identification Method of Valve Internal Leakage in Thermal Power Station Based on Improved Kepler Optimization Algorithm-Support Vector Regression (IKOA-SVR)
by Fengsheng Jia, Tao Jin, Ruizhou Guo, Xinghua Yuan, Zihao Guo and Chengbing He
Computation 2025, 13(11), 251; https://doi.org/10.3390/computation13110251 - 2 Nov 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 799
Abstract
Valve internal leakage in thermal power stations exhibits a strong concealed nature. If it cannot be discovered and predicted of development trend in time, it will affect the safe and economical operation of plant equipment. This paper proposed an intelligent identification method for [...] Read more.
Valve internal leakage in thermal power stations exhibits a strong concealed nature. If it cannot be discovered and predicted of development trend in time, it will affect the safe and economical operation of plant equipment. This paper proposed an intelligent identification method for valve internal leakage that integrated an Improved Kepler Optimization Algorithm (IKOA) with Support Vector Regression (SVR). The Kepler Optimization Algorithm (KOA) was improved using the Sobol sequence and an adaptive Gaussian mutation strategy to achieve self-optimization of the key parameters in the SVR model. A multi-step sliding cross-validation method was employed to train the model, ultimately yielding the IKOA-SVR intelligent identification model for valve internal leakage quantification. Taking the main steam drain pipe valve as an example, a simulation case validation was carried out. The calculation example used Mean Squared Error (MSE), Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE), Mean Absolute Error (MAE), Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) and determination coefficient (R2) as performance evaluation metrics, and compared and analyzed the training and testing dataset using IKOA-SVR, KOA-SVR, Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO)-SVR, Random Search (RS)-SVR, Grid Search (GS)-SVR, and Bayesian Optimization (BO)-SVR methods, respectively. For the testing dataset, the MSE of IKOA-SVR is 0.65, RMSE is 0.81, MAE is 0.49, and MAPE is 0.0043, with the smallest values among the six methods. The R2 of IKOA-SVR is 0.9998, with the largest value among the six methods. It indicated that IKOA-SVR can effectively solve problems such as getting stuck in local optima and overfitting during the optimization process. An Out-Of-Distribution (OOD) test was conducted for two scenarios: noise injection and Region-Holdout. The identification performance of all six methods decreased, with IKOA-SVR showing the smallest performance decline. The results show that IKOA-SVR has the strongest generalization ability and robustness, the best effect in improving fitting ability, the smallest identification error, the highest identification accuracy, and results closer to the actual value. The method presented in this paper provides an effective approach to solve the problem of intelligent identification of valve internal leakage in thermal power station. Full article
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27 pages, 5819 KB  
Article
Dynamic Error Correction for Fine-Wire Thermocouples Based on CRBM-DBN with PINN Constraint
by Chenyang Zhao, Guangyu Zhou, Junsheng Zhang, Zhijie Zhang, Gang Huang and Qianfang Xie
Symmetry 2025, 17(11), 1831; https://doi.org/10.3390/sym17111831 - 1 Nov 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1149
Abstract
In high-temperature testing scenarios that rely on contact, fine-wire thermocouples demonstrate commendable dynamic performance. Nonetheless, their thermal inertia leads to notable dynamic nonlinear inaccuracies, including response delays and amplitude reduction. To mitigate these challenges, a novel dynamic error correction approach is introduced, which [...] Read more.
In high-temperature testing scenarios that rely on contact, fine-wire thermocouples demonstrate commendable dynamic performance. Nonetheless, their thermal inertia leads to notable dynamic nonlinear inaccuracies, including response delays and amplitude reduction. To mitigate these challenges, a novel dynamic error correction approach is introduced, which combines a Continuous Restricted Boltzmann Machine, Deep Belief Network, and Physics-Informed Neural Network (CDBN-PINN). The unique heat transfer properties of the thermocouple’s bimetallic structure are represented through an Inverse Heat Conduction Equation (IHCP). An analysis is conducted to explore the connection between the analytical solution’s ill-posed nature and the thermocouple’s dynamic errors. The transient temperature response’s nonlinear characteristics are captured using CRBM-DBN. To maintain physical validity and minimize noise amplification, filtered kernel regularization is applied as a constraint within the PINN framework. This approach was tested and confirmed through laser pulse calibration on thermocouples with butt-welded and ball-welded configurations of 0.25 mm and 0.38 mm. Findings reveal that the proposed method achieved a peak relative error of merely 0.83%, superior to Tikhonov regularization by −2.2%, Wiener deconvolution by 20.40%, FBPINNs by 1.40%, and the ablation technique by 2.05%. In detonation tests, the corrected temperature peak reached 1045.7 °C, with the relative error decreasing from 77.7% to 5.1%. Additionally, this method improves response times, with the rise time in laser calibration enhanced by up to 31 ms and in explosion testing by 26 ms. By merging physical constraints with data-driven methodologies, this technique successfully corrected dynamic errors even with limited sample sizes. Full article
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19 pages, 4719 KB  
Article
Laser Stripe Segmentation Network Based on Evidential Uncertainty Theory Modeling Fine-Tuning Optimization Symmetric Algorithm
by Chenbo Shi, Delin Wang, Xiangyu Zhang, Chun Zhang, Jia Yan, Changsheng Zhu and Xiaobing Feng
Symmetry 2025, 17(8), 1280; https://doi.org/10.3390/sym17081280 - 9 Aug 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1462
Abstract
In welding applications, line-structured-light vision is widely used for seam tracking, but intense noise from arc glow, spatter, smoke, and reflections makes reliable laser-stripe segmentation difficult. To address these challenges, we propose EUFNet, an uncertainty-driven symmetrical two-stage segmentation network for precise stripe extraction [...] Read more.
In welding applications, line-structured-light vision is widely used for seam tracking, but intense noise from arc glow, spatter, smoke, and reflections makes reliable laser-stripe segmentation difficult. To address these challenges, we propose EUFNet, an uncertainty-driven symmetrical two-stage segmentation network for precise stripe extraction under real-world welding conditions. In the first stage, a lightweight backbone generates a coarse stripe mask and a pixel-wise uncertainty map; in the second stage, a functionally mirrored refinement network uses this uncertainty map to symmetrically guide fine-tuning of the same image regions, thereby preserving stripe continuity. We further employ an uncertainty-weighted loss that treats ambiguous pixels and their corresponding evidence in a one-to-one, symmetric manner. Evaluated on a large-scale dataset of 3100 annotated welding images, EUFNet achieves a mean IoU of 89.3% and a mean accuracy of 95.9% at 236.7 FPS (compared to U-Net’s 82.5% mean IoU and 90.2% mean accuracy), significantly outperforming existing approaches in both accuracy and real-time performance. Moreover, EUFNet generalizes effectively to the public WLSD benchmark, surpassing state-of-the-art baselines in both accuracy and speed. These results confirm that a structurally and functionally symmetric, uncertainty-driven two-stage refinement strategy—combined with targeted loss design and efficient feature integration—yields high-precision, real-time performance for automated welding vision. Full article
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30 pages, 7785 KB  
Article
Data Value Assessment in Digital Economy Based on Backpropagation Neural Network Optimized by Genetic Algorithm
by Xujiang Qin, Qi He, Xin Zhang and Xiang Yang
Symmetry 2025, 17(5), 761; https://doi.org/10.3390/sym17050761 - 14 May 2025
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1497
Abstract
As a new form of economic activity driven by data resources and digital technologies, the digital economy underscores the strategic significance of data as a core production factor. This growing importance necessitates accurate and robust valuation methods. Data valuation poses core modeling challenges [...] Read more.
As a new form of economic activity driven by data resources and digital technologies, the digital economy underscores the strategic significance of data as a core production factor. This growing importance necessitates accurate and robust valuation methods. Data valuation poses core modeling challenges due to its nonlinear nature and the instability of neural networks, including gradient vanishing, parameter sensitivity, and slow convergence. To overcome these challenges, this study proposes a genetic algorithm-optimized BP (GA-BP) model, enhancing the efficiency and accuracy of data valuation. The BP neural network employs a symmetrical architecture, with neurons organized in layers and information transmitted symmetrically during both forward and backward propagation. Similarly, the genetic algorithm maintains a symmetric evolutionary process, featuring symmetric operations in both crossover and mutation. The empirical data used in this study are sourced from the Shanghai Data Exchange, comprising 519 data samples. Based on this dataset, the model incorporates 9 primary indicators and 21 secondary indicators to comprehensively assess data value, optimizing network weights and thresholds through the genetic algorithm. Experimental results show that the GA-BP model outperforms the traditional BP network in terms of mean squared error (MSE), root mean squared error (RMSE), mean absolute error (MAE), and coefficient of determination (R2), achieving a 47.6% improvement in prediction accuracy. Furthermore, GA-BP exhibits faster convergence and greater stability. When compared to other models such as long short-term memory (LSTM), convolutional neural networks (CNNs), and optimization-based BP variants like particle swarm optimization BP (PSO-BP) and whale optimization algorithm BP (WOA-BP), GA-BP demonstrates superior generalization and robustness. This approach provides valuable insights into the commercialization of data assets. Full article
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21 pages, 1103 KB  
Article
Multi-Objective Cauchy Particle Swarm Optimization for Energy-Aware Virtual Machine Placement in Cloud Datacenters
by Xuan Liu, Chenyan Wang, Shan Jiang, Yutong Gao, Chaomurilige and Bo Cheng
Symmetry 2025, 17(5), 742; https://doi.org/10.3390/sym17050742 - 13 May 2025
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1310
Abstract
With the continuous expansion of application scenarios for cloud computing, large-scale service deployments in cloud data centers are accompanied by a significant increase in resource consumption. Virtual machines (VMs) in data centers are allocated to physical machines (PMs) and require the resources provided [...] Read more.
With the continuous expansion of application scenarios for cloud computing, large-scale service deployments in cloud data centers are accompanied by a significant increase in resource consumption. Virtual machines (VMs) in data centers are allocated to physical machines (PMs) and require the resources provided by PMs to run various services. Apparently, a simple solution to minimize energy consumption is to allocate VMs as compactly as possible. However, the above virtual machine placement (VMP) strategy may lead to system performance degradation and service failures due to imbalanced resource load, thereby reducing the robustness of the cloud data center. Therefore, an effective VMP solution that comprehensively considers both energy consumption and other performance metrics in data centers is urgently needed. In this paper, we first construct a multi-objective VMP model aiming to simultaneously optimize energy consumption, resource utilization, load balancing, and system robustness, and we then build a joint optimization function with resource constraints. Subsequently, a novel energy-aware Cauchy particle swarm optimization (EA-CPSO) algorithm is proposed, which implements particle asymmetric disturbances and an energy-efficient population iteration strategy, aiming to minimize the value of the joint optimization function. Finally, our extensive experiments demonstrated that EA-CPSO outperforms existing methods. Full article
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