Abstract:
The Two-Connected Network with Bounded Ring (2CNBR) problem is a network design
problem addressing the connection of servers to create a survivable network with
limited redirections in the event of failures. Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) is a
stochastic population-based optimization technique modeled on the social behaviour
of flocking birds or schooling fish. This thesis applies PSO to the 2CNBR problem.
As PSO is originally designed to handle a continuous solution space, modification
of the algorithm was necessary in order to adapt it for such a highly constrained
discrete combinatorial optimization problem. Presented are an indirect transcription
scheme for applying PSO to such discrete optimization problems and an oscillating
mechanism for averting stagnation.
