An improved Opposition-Based Sine Cosine Algorithm for global optimization

Real life optimization problems require techniques that properly explore the search spaces to obtain the best solutions. In this sense, it is common that traditional optimization algorithms fail in local optimal values. The Sine Cosine Algorithms (SCA) has been recently proposed; it is a global optimization approach based on two trigonometric functions. SCA uses the sine and cosine functions to modify a set of candidate solutions; such operators create a balance between exploration and exploitation of the search space. However, like other similar approaches, SCA tends to be stuck into sub-optimal regions that it is reflected in the computational effort required to find the best values. This situation occurs due that the operators used for exploration do not work well to analyze the search space. This paper presents an improved version of SCA that considers the opposition based learning (OBL) as a mechanism for a better exploration of the search space generating more accurate solutions. OBL is a machine learning strategy commonly used to increase the performance of metaheuristic algorithms. OBL considers the opposite position of a solution in the search space. Based on the objective function value, the OBL selects the best element between the original solution and its opposite position; this task increases the accuracy of the optimization process. The hybridization of concepts from different fields is crucial in intelligent and expert systems; it helps to combine the advantages of algorithms to generate more efficient approaches. The proposed method is an example of this combination; it has been tested over several benchmark functions and engineering problems. Such results support the efficacy of the proposed approach to find the optimal solutions in complex search spaces.