Screening the Parameters Affecting Heuristic Performance

This research screens the timing parameters of a combinatorial optimization heuristic. Specifically; it presents a Design of Experiments (DOE) approach that uses a Fractional Factorial Design to screen the timing parameters of Ant Colony System (ACS) for the Travelling Salesperson problem. Screening is a preliminary step towards building a full Response Surface Model (RSM) [2]. It identifies parameters that have little influence on performance and can be omitted from the RSM design. This reduces the complexity and expense of the RSM design. 10 algorithm parameters and 2 problem characteristics Dire considered. Open questions on the effect; of 3 parameters on performance, are answered. A further parameter, sometimes assumed important, was shown to have no effect on performance. A new problem characteristic that effects performance was identified. A full version of this paper is available [3]