Tabu Search: Intermediate Concepts

Department of Biomedical, Human Factors, & Industrial Engineering

Short Term Memory Issues

List size
No agreement on a best size Generally want smaller sizes for stringent restrictions o Sizes can vary by specific list
o o o o o

Tabu restrictions

Context dependent Can have multiple types of restrictions Not all necessarily are in effect simultaneously

Department of Biomedical, Human Factors, & Industrial Engineering

Short Term Memory Issues

Aspiration criteria
Can have multiple criteria Each criteria may have its own tenure Again, not all need be in effect at any one time Just about anything goes as an aspiration criteria o Litmus test is does the aspiration criteria work
o o o o

Department of Biomedical, Human Factors, & Industrial Engineering

What if Short Term Fails?

Short term memory functions and tabu search often sufficient for many problems There are cases where the approach requires more power
o o

The other memory components of tabu search can now come into play Approached failed to drive search into new areas
Department of Biomedical, Human Factors, & Industrial Engineering

Maybe the best so far curve has leveled off Maybe we know better solutions are available

Bridging Data Structure

Name provided to distinguish how data structures are used and exploited These allow movement between memory functions Based on auxiliary data captured by search Analyzed on-line and events triggered
o o o

Go to intermediate memory functions Go to long-term memory functions Change tenure, restrictions, aspiration criteria, etc.
Department of Biomedical, Human Factors, & Industrial Engineering

Tabu Search Functions

Current Focus
Department of Biomedical, Human Factors, & Industrial Engineering

Purpose of Functions

Department of Biomedical, Human Factors, & Industrial Engineering

Intermediate Tabu Search

Primarily a return to good areas o Elite List of solutions o Return to elite solutions and intensify Good areas include: o Strong solutions visited o Strong solutions evaluated but not visited o Solutions constructed via some set of rules Resume or restart search from a new area when search in an old area bogs down
Department of Biomedical, Human Factors, & Industrial Engineering

Intermediate Tabu Search

Apply Short-Term Tabu Search

When Improvement Stops, Get Member of Elite List Continue with the ShortTerm Tabu Search from new Solution Continue until Stopping Criteria is Met
Ref: OR/MS Encyclopedia
Department of Biomedical, Human Factors, & Industrial Engineering

Elite Set Approaches

Voss (1993) erases memory and returns to previous solutions different from current solution Glover (1990) tracks quality neighbors not picked
o

Tsubakitani and Evans (1998) jump to new random solutions Kinney et al. (2003) generate list of good solutions
Department of Biomedical, Human Factors, & Industrial Engineering

An unvisited neighbor strategy

Tabu Search Functions

Current Focus
Department of Biomedical, Human Factors, & Industrial Engineering

Purpose of Functions

Department of Biomedical, Human Factors, & Industrial Engineering

Long-Term Tabu Search

Short and Intermediate functions may not provide enough diversification Want really new solutions; move to new portions of the search space Long-term memory functions: o Counts of move characteristics o Move distance evaluations o Relax constraints-- Strategic Oscillation o Randomization of solutions

Department of Biomedical, Human Factors, & Industrial Engineering

Long-Term Tabu Search

Apply Short-Term Tabu Search

When Some Trigger Occurs, Initiate Long-Term Functions Continue Short-Term Tabu Search from new Solution

Continue until Stopping Criteria is Met

Ref: OR/MS Encyclopedia
Department of Biomedical, Human Factors, & Industrial Engineering

Diversification
Strategic oscillation
o o

Vocabulary building
o

Systematically cross boundaries ordinarily fixed Allow movement to regions previously not reached

Generate new solutions based on knowledge of solutions visited o Exploit data structures (memory) containing search information o e.g., examine frequency counts and fix variables to values
Department of Biomedical, Human Factors, & Industrial Engineering

Diversification
Move distance
Force moves within the search that cause a large change is the structure of the solution o Essentially a new evaluation function focused on change versus quality of solution neighborhood o Also called move influence
o o o o

Path relinking

Choose two (good) solutions Generate a path between the solutions Tunnel through infeasible region if necessary
Department of Biomedical, Human Factors, & Industrial Engineering

Some Key Concepts

Candidate Move and Candidate List Tabu Tenure and Tabu List Aspiration Criteria
o

Aggressive Exploration Explicit Memory

o o

Do not ignore good solutions, make exceptions

Intensification and Diversification

Move between the two and search the space
Department of Biomedical, Human Factors, & Industrial Engineering

Keep track of lots of information

Questions?

Department of Biomedical, Human Factors, & Industrial Engineering