A generic object-oriented Tabu Search Framework

• Main Authors: LAU, Hoong Chuin, JIA, Xiaomin, WAN, Wee Chong
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 2005
• Subjects: Combinatorial optimization; Reusability; Software framework; Tabu search; Artificial Intelligence and Robotics; Operations Research, Systems Engineering and Industrial Engineering
• Online Access: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/sis_research/843; https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/context/sis_research/article/1842/viewcontent/GenericObject_OrientedTabuSearchFramework_MetaHeur_2003.pdf
• Institution: Singapore Management University

Presently, most tabu search designers devise their applications without considering the potential of design and code reuse, which consequently prolong the development of subsequent applications. In this paper, we propose a software solution known as Tabu Search Framework (TSF), which is a generic C++ software framework for tabu search implementation. The framework excels in code recycling through the use of a well- designed set of generic abstract classes that clearly define their collaborative roles in the algorithm. Additionally, the framework incorporates a centralized process and control mechanism that enhances the search with intelligence. This results in a generic framework that is capable of solving a wide range of combinatorial optimization problems using various tabu search techniques and adaptive strategies. The applications of TSF are demonstrated on the implementation of two NP-hard problems, the Vehicle Routing Problem with Time Windows (VRPTW) and Quadratic Assignment Problem (QAP). We show that TSF is able to obtain quality solutions within reasonable implementation as well as computation time.