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, 2nd Edition

Abstract submission deadline
31 January 2027
Manuscript submission deadline
31 March 2027
Viewed by
2008

Topic Information

Dear Colleagues,

Intelligent optimization algorithms (IOAs) are a branch of artificial intelligence that emphasize 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, are a collection of search and optimization techniques. IOAs include bio-inspired intelligent algorithms, evolutionary computation methods, and swarm intelligence, among others. With these methods, 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, particularly those focused on, but not limited to, the following topics:

  • Artificial intelligence;
  • Deep learning;
  • Data mining;
  • Data-driven optimization methods;
  • Time-series forecasting;
  • Time-series anomaly detection;
  • Swarm intelligence;
  • Intelligent computing;
  • Bio-inspired algorithms and 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 Submit
Applied Sciences
applsci
2.9 6.1 2011 15 Days CHF 2400 Submit
AppliedMath
appliedmath
1.4 1.4 2021 20.4 Days CHF 1200 Submit
Computation
computation
2.6 5.2 2013 13.6 Days CHF 1800 Submit
Mathematics
mathematics
2.3 5.4 2013 17.4 Days CHF 2600 Submit
Sci
sci
4.1 5.4 2019 28.2 Days CHF 1400 Submit
Symmetry
symmetry
2.2 5.2 2009 16.3 Days CHF 2400 Submit

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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15 pages, 9036 KB  
Article
A Hybrid Conjugate Gradient Method for Unconstrained Optimization with Application in Image Restoration
by Jiayu Zheng and Xiangsong Zhang
Symmetry 2026, 18(8), 1276; https://doi.org/10.3390/sym18081276 - 28 Jul 2026
Viewed by 238
Abstract
Hybrid conjugate gradient methods are considered as an efficient family of conjugate gradient (CG) methods used to solve unconstrained optimization problems. In this paper, on account of the outstanding performance of the PRP (Polak–Ribière–Polyak) conjugate gradient method and its exceptional numerical computational stability, [...] Read more.
Hybrid conjugate gradient methods are considered as an efficient family of conjugate gradient (CG) methods used to solve unconstrained optimization problems. In this paper, on account of the outstanding performance of the PRP (Polak–Ribière–Polyak) conjugate gradient method and its exceptional numerical computational stability, we propose a hybrid conjugate gradient method for solving unconstrained optimization problems. By combining two PRP-type directions via convex combination, the proposed search direction dynamically adjusts to gradient change rates and satisfies the sufficient descent property. Under mild conditions, the global convergence of the proposed method is established. Numerical computations are presented to display the efficacy of the proposed algorithm compared to some existing algorithms. It is indicated that the proposed method is more effective in dealing with non-convex optimization problems. Finally, the applicability of the proposed method is shown in image restoration problems with noise, and preliminary experimental results demonstrate its effectiveness compared to some other methods. Full article
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29 pages, 13866 KB  
Article
An Enhanced Gold Rush Optimizer for USV Path Planning in Complex Environments
by Qingye Wang, Jiacai Pan, Yifeng Zhao, Zhihui Hu, Zheping Shao and Sainan Wang
Algorithms 2026, 19(7), 561; https://doi.org/10.3390/a19070561 - 8 Jul 2026
Viewed by 248
Abstract
To address the problems of slow convergence, long planned paths, and excessive turning points in unmanned surface vehicle (USV) path planning under complex environments, this paper proposes a path planning method based on an Enhanced Gold Rush Optimizer (EGRO). A nonlinear adaptive parameter [...] Read more.
To address the problems of slow convergence, long planned paths, and excessive turning points in unmanned surface vehicle (USV) path planning under complex environments, this paper proposes a path planning method based on an Enhanced Gold Rush Optimizer (EGRO). A nonlinear adaptive parameter adjustment strategy and a stage-wise dynamic probability mechanism are designed to improve the balance between global exploration and local exploitation at different stages of iteration. In addition, a Gaussian diffusion mechanism combined with a local search operator is introduced to enhance the algorithm’s ability to escape from local optima and reduce the number of path turning points. In the remote-sensing-image-based sea-ice simulation scenario, compared with the conventional GRO, PSO, and GWO algorithms, the maximum observed improvements of EGRO in best fitness, convergence iterations, and the number of path turning points are approximately 31.65%, 51.24%, and 35.00%, respectively. The simulation results indicate that EGRO can provide a feasible swarm-intelligence-based optimization framework for USV path planning. The proposed algorithm can generate feasible paths with relatively shorter lengths and fewer turning points. These characteristics may provide a favorable geometric reference for subsequent trajectory generation and navigation control, thereby highlighting the potential value of EGRO in engineering applications of USV path planning. Full article
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30 pages, 7940 KB  
Article
A Two-Stage Fitness Learning Model-Driven Evolutionary Algorithm for Imbalanced Multimodal Multi-Objective Optimization
by Aoshuang Yang, Qiaoyong Jiang and Yanyan Lin
Symmetry 2026, 18(6), 934; https://doi.org/10.3390/sym18060934 - 29 May 2026
Viewed by 272
Abstract
In recent years, multimodal multi-objective optimization problems (MMOPs) have become a hot research topic in the field of evolutionary computation in recent years, whose main goal is to locate all equivalent Pareto-optimal solution sets. Although existing evolutionary multimodal multi-objective algorithms (MMOAs) perform well [...] Read more.
In recent years, multimodal multi-objective optimization problems (MMOPs) have become a hot research topic in the field of evolutionary computation in recent years, whose main goal is to locate all equivalent Pareto-optimal solution sets. Although existing evolutionary multimodal multi-objective algorithms (MMOAs) perform well when there is no obvious difference in the search difficulty of different Pareto-optimal solution sets, they face great challenges when such difficulty differences are prominent, as most current MMOAs fail to effectively address the imbalance of fitness landscapes, leading to an inability to stably find all Pareto-optimal modes and poor robustness in complex MMOPs. To fill this gap, the main objective of this study is to propose a novel MMOA that can adapt to imbalanced fitness landscapes, thereby improving the ability to locate all Pareto-optimal solution sets and enhancing the algorithm’s robustness. To achieve this objective, a novel multimodal multi-objective evolutionary algorithm based on a two-stage fitness learning model is proposed. First, a multi-subpopulation cooperative search strategy is designed. Based on the principle of speciation, this strategy divides the population into several subpopulations, with the formation of each subpopulation guided by individual similarity in the decision space, thereby guiding the population to perform decentralized search across different modes. Second, a two-stage fitness learning model is developed. In the early and middle stages of evolution, individual fitness is evaluated by integrating Pareto dominance strength and density estimates based on the local outlier factor; in the late stage of evolution, individual fitness is evaluated using fast non-dominated sorting and twin-mirror crowding distance. The former is used to balance the convergence and diversity of the population in the decision space, while the latter is used to improve the convergence and diversity of the population in both the decision space and the objective space. Finally, simulation experiments are conducted on 12 imbalanced multimodal multi-objective optimization problems, and the results are compared to those of seven popular evolutionary multimodal multi-objective optimization algorithms. The results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm can find all modes for different problems and exhibits better robustness. Full article
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