A MODIFIED FIREFLY ALGORITHM FOR ENGINEERING DESIGN OPTIMIZATION PROBLEMS

In the present study, some modifications on the firefly algorithm are presented to improve its performance. The firefly algorithm is a recently developed robust metaheuristic optimization technique which mimics the social behavior of fireflies based on their flashing characteristics. To improve its performance three basic modifications are proposed in the present work. These modifications consist of adding memory, adding newborn fireflies and proposing a new updating formula. To evaluate the applicability of the proposed method, three classical engineering design optimization problems and three sizing optimization of truss structures are solved and results are compared with those available in the literature. It is observed that the proposed method can effectively be used in solution of engineering design optimization problems.