Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) –

An Overview
Last Updated : 25 May, 2023

The process of finding optimal values for the specific parameters of a given
system to fulfill all design requirements while considering the lowest
possible cost is referred to as an optimization. Optimization problems can
be found in all fields of science.

Conventional optimization algorithms (Deterministic algorithms) have some

limitations such as:

single-based solutions
converging to local optima
unknown search space issues

To overcome these limitations, many scholars and researchers have

developed several metaheuristics to address complex/unsolved optimization
problems. Example: Particle Swarm Optimization, Grey wolf optimization,
Ant colony Optimization, Genetic Algorithms, Cuckoo search algorithm, etc.

The Introduction to Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) article explained the

basics of stochastic optimization algorithms and explained the intuition
behind particle swarm optimization (PSO). This article aims to deep dive
into particle swarm optimization (PSO).

Inspiration of the algorithm

Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) is a powerful meta-heuristic optimization

algorithm and inspired by swarm behavior observed in nature such as fish
:
 and bird schooling. PSO is a Simulation of a simplified social system. The
original intent of PSO algorithm was to graphically simulate the graceful but
unpredictable choreography of a bird flock.

In nature, any of the bird’s observable vicinity is limited to some range.

However, having more than one birds allows all the birds in a swarm to be
aware of the larger surface of a fitness function.

Let’s mathematically model, the above-mentioned principles to make the

swarm find the global minima of a fitness function

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Mathematical model

Each particle in particle swarm optimization has an associated position,

velocity, fitness value.
Each particle keeps track of the particle_bestFitness_value
particle_bestFitness_position.
A record of global_bestFitness_position and global_bestFitness_value is
maintained.
:
 Fig 1: Data structure to store Swarm population

Fig 2: Data structure to store ith particle of Swarm

Algorithm

Parameters of problem:

Number of dimensions (d)

Lower bound (minx)
Upper bound (maxx)
:
 Hyperparameters of the algorithm:

Number of particles (N)

Maximum number of iterations (max_iter)
Inertia (w)
Cognition of particle (C1)
Social influence of swarm (C2)

Algorithm:

Step1: Randomly initialize Swarm population of N particles

Xi ( i=1, 2, …, n)
Step2: Select hyperparameter values
w, c1 and c2
Step 3: For Iter in range(max_iter): # loop max_iter
times
For i in range(N): # for each particle:
a. Compute new velocity of ith particle
swarm[i].velocity =
w*swarm[i].velocity +
r1*c1*(swarm[i].bestPos -
swarm[i].position) +
r2*c2*( best_pos_swarm -
swarm[i].position)
b. Compute new position of ith particle
using its new velocity
swarm[i].position += swarm[i].velocity
c. If position is not in range [minx, maxx]
then clip it
if swarm[i].position < minx:
swarm[i].position = minx
elif swarm[i].position > maxx:
swarm[i].position = maxx
d. Update new best of this particle and new
best of Swarm
if swaInsensitive to scaling of
:
 design variables.rm[i].fitness < swarm[i].bestFitness:
swarm[i].bestFitness =
swarm[i].fitness
swarm[i].bestPos =
swarm[i].position

if swarm[i].fitness <
best_fitness_swarm
best_fitness_swarm =
swarm[i].fitness
best_pos_swarm = swarm[i].position
End-for
End -for
Step 4: Return best particle of Swarm

Advantages of PSO:

1. Insensitive to scaling of design variables.

2. Derivative free.
3. Very few algorithm parameters.
4. Very efficient global search algorithm.
5. Easily parallelized for concurrent processing.

Disadvantages of PSO:

1. Slow convergence in the refined search stage (Weak local search

ability).

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