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Scalability and robustness of parallel hyperheuristics applied to a multiobjectivised frequency assignment problem

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Abstract

The Frequency Assignment Problem (fap) is one of the key issues in the design of Global System for Mobile Communications (gsm) networks. The formulation of the fap used here focuses on aspects that are relevant to real gsm networks. In this paper, we adapt a parallel model to tackle a multiobjectivised version of the fap. It is a hybrid model which combines an island-based model and a hyperheuristic. The main aim of this paper is to design a strategy that facilitates the application of the current best-behaved algorithm. Specifically, our goal is to decrease the user effort required to set its parameters. At the same time, the usage of such an algorithm in parallel environments was enabled. As a result, the time required to attain high-quality solutions was decreased. We also conduct a robustness analysis of this parallel model. In this analysis we study the relationship between the migration stage of the parallel model and the quality of the resulting solutions. In addition, we also carry out a scalability study of the parallel model. In this case, we analyse the impact that the migration stage has on the scalability of the entire parallel model. Computational results with several real network instances have validated our proposed approach. The best-known frequency plans for two real-world network instances are improved with this strategy.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the ec (feder) and the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation as part of the ‘Plan Nacional de i+d+i’, with contract number tin2011-25448. The work of Carlos Segura was funded by grant fpu-ap2008-03213. The work of Eduardo Segredo was funded by grant fpu-ap2009-0457x The work has also been funded by the hpc-europa2 project (project number: 228398) with the support of the European Commission—Capacities Area—Research Infrastructures. This work made use of the facilities of hector, the uk’s national high-performance computing service, which is provided by uoe hpcx Ltd at the University of Edinburgh, Cray Inc and nag Ltd, and funded by the Office of Science and Technology through epsrc’s High End Computing Programme.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento Estadística, I. O. y Computación, Universidad de La Laguna La Laguna, 38271, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain

    Carlos Segura, Eduardo Segredo & Coromoto León

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  1. Carlos Segura
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  2. Eduardo Segredo
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  3. Coromoto León
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Correspondence to Carlos Segura.

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Communicated by A-A. Tantar.

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Segura, C., Segredo, E. & León, C. Scalability and robustness of parallel hyperheuristics applied to a multiobjectivised frequency assignment problem. Soft Comput 17, 1077–1093 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00500-012-0945-y

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