Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

New optimization methods from physics and biology

  • Review Article
  • Published:

From Nature

View current issue Submit your manuscript

Abstract

Research in spin-glass physics, population genetics, and neural network dynamics has provided powerful methods for finding near-global optima of functions that have many local optima. These techniques are being applied successfully to a wide variety of scientific and engineering problems. They may also give new insights into combinatorial optimization problems.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Lawler, E. L., Lenstra, J. K., Rinnooy Kan, A. H. G. & Shmoys, D. B. The Travelling Salesman Problem (Wiley, New York, 1985).

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  2. Packel, E. W. & Traub, J. F. Nature 328, 29–33 (1987).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  3. Toulouse, G. Comm. Phys. 2, 115–119 (1977).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Van Hemmen, J. L. & Morgenstern, I. (eds) Lecture Notes in Physics Vol. 192 (Springer, 1983).

  5. Binder, K. & Young, A. P. Rev. mod. Phys. 58, 801–976 (1986).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Sherrington, D. & Kirkpatrick, S. Phys. Rev. Lett. 32, 1972 (1975); Phys. Rev. B17, 4384–4403 (1978).

    Google Scholar 

  7. Metropolis, N., Rosenbluth, A., Rosenbluth, M., Teller, A. & Teller, E. J. chem. Phys. 21, 1087–1092 (1953).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Kirkpatrick, S., Gelatt, C. D. & Vecchi, M. P. Science 220, 671–680 (1983).

    Article  ADS  MathSciNet  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Cěrny, V. J. Optimisation Theory Appl. 45, 41–51 (1985).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Pincus, M. Optimisation Res. 18, 1225–1228 (1970).

    MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  11. Geman, S. & Geman, D. IEEE PAMI 6, 721–741 (1984).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Gidas, B. J. stat. Phys. 39, 73–131 (1985).

    Article  ADS  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  13. Kirkpatrick, S. J. stat. Phys. 34, 975–986 (1984).

    Article  ADS  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  14. Kirkpatrick, S. & Toulouse, G. J. Phys., Paris 46, 1277–1292 (1985).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Bonomi, E. & Lutton, J. SIAM Rev. 26, 551–567 (1984).

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  16. Lin, S. Bell Syst. Tech. J. 44, 2245–2269 (1965).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Bachas, C. P. J. Phys. A17, L709–L712 (1984).

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  18. Barahona, F., Maynard, R., Rammal, R. & Uhry, J. P. J. Phys. A15, 673 (1982).

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  19. Orland, H. J. Phys. Lett., Paris 46, L763–L770 (1985).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Edwards, S. F. & Anderson, P. W. J. Phys. F 5, 965–974 (1975).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  21. Mezard, M. & Parisi, G. J. Phys. Lett., Paris 46, L771–L778 (1985).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Vannimenus, J. & Mezard, M. J. Phys. Lett., Paris 45, L1145–L1153 (1984).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Poggio, T., Torre, V. & Koch, C. Nature 317, 314–319 (1985).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Hopfield, J. J. & Tank, D. W. Biol. Cyb. 52, 141–152 (1985).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Hopfield, J. J. & Tank, D. W. Science 233, 625–633 (1986).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Graf, H. P. et al. AIP Conf. Proc. 151 Neural Networks for Computing, 182–187 (1986).

    Google Scholar 

  27. Sivilotti, M., Emerling, M. R. & Mead, C. A. AIP Conf. Proc. 151 Neural Networks for Computing, 408–418 (1986).

    Google Scholar 

  28. Durbin, R. & Willshaw, D. Nature 336, 689–691 (1987).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  29. Holland, J. H. Adaptation in Natural and Artificial Systems (University of Michigan Press, Ann Arbor, 1975).

    Google Scholar 

  30. Brady, R. M. Nature 317, 804–806 (1985).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Royal Signals and Radar Establishment, St Andrews Road, Malvern, Worcestershire, WR14 3PS, UK

    David G. Bounds

Authors
  1. David G. Bounds
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Bounds, D. New optimization methods from physics and biology. Nature 329, 215–219 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1038/329215a0

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/329215a0

  • Springer Nature Limited

This article is cited by

Search

Navigation