Simulating non-stationary operators in search algorithms

In this paper, we propose new scenarios for simulating search operators whose behaviors often change continuously during the search. In these scenarios, the performance of such operators decreases while they are applied. This is motivated by the fact that operators for optimization problems are often roughly classified into exploitation and exploration operators. Our simulation model is used to compare the performances of operator selection policies and to identify their ability to handle specific non-stationary operators. An experimental study highlights respective behaviors of operator selection policies when faced to such non-stationary search scenarios. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.