In this paper we propose a Monotonic Basin Hopping approach and its population-based variant Population Basin Hopping to solve the problem of packing equal and unequal circles within a circular container with minimum radius. Extensive computational experiments have been performed both to analyze the problem at hand, and to choose in an appropriate way the … Read more
We present three new stopping rules for Multistart based methods. The first uses a device that enables the determination of the coverage of the bounded search domain. The second is based on the comparison of asymptotic expectation values of observable quantities to the actually measured ones. The third offers a probabilistic estimate for the number … Read more
In this paper we consider global optimization algorithms based on multiple local searches for the Molecular Distance Geometry Problem (MDGP). Three distinct approaches (Multistart, Monotonic Basin Hopping, Population Basin Hopping) are presented and for each of them a computational analysis is performed. The results are also compared with those of two other approaches in the … Read more
When dealing with extremely hard global optimization problems, i.e. problems with a large number of variables and a huge number of local optima, heuristic procedures are the only possible choice. In this situation, lacking any possibility of guaranteeing global optimality for most problem instances, it is quite difficult to establish rules for discriminating among different … Read more
We present a stochastic global optimization method that employs a clustering technique which is based on a typical distance and a gradient test. The method aims to recover all the local minima inside a rectangular domain. A new stopping rule is used. Comparative results on a set of test functions are reported. CitationPreprint, no 4-5/2004 … Read more
It is widely believed that in order to solve large scale global optimization problems an appropriate mixture of local approximation and global exploration is necessary. Local approximation, if first order information on the objective function is available, is efficiently performed by means of local optimization methods. Unfortunately, global exploration, in absence of some kind of … Read more
A standard stochastic global optimization method is applied to the challenging problem of finding the minimum energy conformation of cluster of identical atoms interacting through the Lennard-Jones potential. The method proposed is based on the use of a two-phase local search procedure which is capable of significantly enlarge the basin of attraction of the global … Read more