The runner-root algorithm: A metaheuristic for solving unimodal and multimodal optimization problems inspired by runners and roots of plants in nature

- A new optimization algorithm inspired by the plants propagated through runners is proposed.
- Global search with random large steps is performed at all iterations (exploration).
- Local search with random small steps (exploitation) is performed only if global search fails.
- Local search is performed by roots and root hairs.
- It does not necessarily apply a same number of function evaluations at all iterations.