Applications

Abstract

Although the application of classical multiobjective optimization techniques to solve problems in different (management, engineering and scientific) areas started as early as 1951 (see Section 6.2 from Chapter 1), Multi-Objective Evolutionary Algorithms (MOEAs) were applied for the first time until the mid-1980s (Schaffer, 1985). However, since the late 1990s, there has been a considerable increase in the number of applications of MOEAs. This has been mainly originated by the success of MOEAs in solving real-world problems. MOEAs have generated either competitive or better results than those produced using other search techniques. This has made the task of classifying MOEA applications difficult and subjective. Trying to deal with this problem, it was decided to use a rather simple and general classification in this chapter, trying to fit each paper reviewed within the closest category according to the focus of the work. For example, a paper that is related to scheduling and naval engineering but is more focused on the second subject, is classified under “environmental, naval and hydraulic engineering”. This avoids overlapping to a certain extent, but can be confusing for some people. Therefore, it was decided to add as many entries as possible to the analytical index provided at the end of this book to facilitate the search. Additionally, italics characters are used throughout this chapter to indicate the specific name of an application, in an attempt to facilitate the search of specific information.

“It is common sense to take a method and try it. If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something.”

—Franklin D. Roosevelt