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MECH-DUALDEG-10-025

Multi-Objective Optimization Using Genetic Algorithms

Zade Ashwin Dinanath, D.Deg, 10, 116 pp.
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai 400 076.
Supervisor(s): P. G. Awate

Multi-objective optimization is a challenging optimization problem which arises naturally in most

real world optimization scenario trying to simultaneously optimize more than one objective. Since
no single solution can be termed optimum solution to multiple objectives, the resulting multi-
objective problem resorts to finding multiple trade-offs. This thesis presents a comprehensive
literature review of the important classical and genetic algorithm based methods to solve multi-
objective optimization problems. Classical optimization methods can at best find one optimal
solution in a single run and hence are inconvenient to solve multi-objective optimization
problems. Genetic algorithms (GAs), on the other hand, possess several characteristics that are
naturally desirable for solving these problems. Hence, over the last two decades, multi-objective
optimization using genetic algorithm has received considerable focus in the field of evolutionary
computation and classical multiple criterion decision making. In genetic algorithm based methods,
elitist GAs offer convergence toward set of Pareto optimal solutions in probability while
non-elitist GAs require less computational efforts and are simple in design. Hence, we have used
an elitist GA, NSGA-II which requires less number of parameters and a non-elitist GA, NPGA
implementing tournament selection, which provides control over selection pressure.
One of the applications of multi-objective genetic algorithms is for solving a resource constrained
project scheduling problem which is concerned with simultaneously minimizing the project
duration and weighted earliness tardiness penalties. Since both regular and non-regular objectives
are present, a set of active schedules is not sufficient to explore and hence well known serial
scheduling scheme needs to be modified. We introduce a modified serial scheduling scheme
which can generate active as well as non-active schedules. We also use a genetic algorithm based
on direct encoding for multi-objective RCPSP. This is incorporated in the framework of frontline
multi-objective genetic algorithms such as NSGA-II and NPGA. Finally, we evaluate performance
of different algorithms based on experimental results.

KEYWORDS: Multi-objective Optimization, Pareto Optimal, Genetic Algorithms, Serial

Scheduling Scheme, RCPSP.

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