A New Scatter Search Design for Multiobjective Combinatorial Optimization with an Application to Facility Location

Abstract

Metaheuristic optimization is at the heart of the intersection between computer science and operations research. The INFORMS Journal of Computing has been fundamental in advancing the ideas behind metaheuristic methodologies. Fred Glover’s “Tabu Search—Part I” was published more than 30 years ago in the first volume of the then ORSA Journal on Computing. This article, one of the most cited in the area of heuristic optimization, paved the way for many contributions to the methodology and practice of operations research. As a continuation of this stream of research, we describe a new scatter search design for multiobjective optimization. The design includes a short-term memory tabu search and a path relinking combination method. We show how the strategies and mechanisms within scatter search and tabu search can be combined to produce a highly effective approach to multiobjective optimization.