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An Introduction to Variable Neighborhood Search

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Meta-Heuristics

Abstract

In this paper we examine a relatively unexplored approach to the design of heuristics, the guided change of neighborhood in the search process. Using systematically this idea and very little more, i.e., only a local search routine, leads to a new metaheuristic, which is widely applicable. We call this approach Variable Neighborhood Search (VNS).

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. GERAD and École des Hautes Études Commerciales, 3000 chemin de la Côte-Sainte-Catherine, Montréal, Canada, H3T 2A7

    Pierre Hansen & Nenad Mladenović

Authors
  1. Pierre Hansen
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  2. Nenad Mladenović
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Technical University of Braunschweig, Germany

    Stefan Voß

  2. University of Bologna, Italy

    Silvano Martello

  3. University of Kent, UK

    Ibrahim H. Osman

  4. University of Versailles, France

    Catherine Roucairol

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Hansen, P., Mladenović, N. (1999). An Introduction to Variable Neighborhood Search. In: Voß, S., Martello, S., Osman, I.H., Roucairol, C. (eds) Meta-Heuristics. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-5775-3_30

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-5775-3_30

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4613-7646-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4615-5775-3

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