A hybrid harmony search algorithm for solving dynamic optimisation problems

Many optimisation problems are dynamic in the sense that changes occur during the optimisation process, and therefore are more challenging than the stationary problems. To solve dynamic optimisation problems, the proposed approaches should not only attempt to seek the global optima but be able to also keep track of changes in the track record of landscape solutions. In this research work, one of the most recent new population-based meta-heuristic optimisation technique called a harmony search algorithm for dynamic optimization problems is investigated. This technique mimics the musical process when a musician attempts to find a state of harmony. In order to cope with a dynamic behaviour, the proposed harmony search algorithm was hybridised with a (i) random immigrant, (ii) memory mechanism and (iii) memory based immigrant scheme. The performance of the proposed harmony search is verified by using the well-known dynamic test problem called the Moving Peak Benchmark (MPB) with a variety of peaks. The empirical results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm is able to obtain competitive results, but not the best for most of the cases, when compared to the best known results in the scientific literature published so far.