On reconfiguring heterogeneous parallel island models

This work introduces a new Parallel Island Model (PIM) that encompasses the benefits of heterogeneity and algorithmic reconfigurability. The former feature, heterogeneity, means that different islands may execute different evolutionary algorithms. The latter, reconfigurability, means that each island can change the algorithm being executed during the evolutionary process. Allowing such features increases the usual diversity obtained by the communication topologies and migration policies by homogeneous PIMs (HoPIMs). Previous (non-reconfigurable) heterogeneous PIMs (HePIMs) were able to provide competitive solutions regarding the HoPIMs. By adding the reconfiguration capability, PIMs can change dynamically from executing one evolutionary algorithm to another. In this manner, the required diversity and flexibility to outperform HoPIMs and HePIMs is achieved. This paper discusses policies to profit from the feature of reconfigurability on HePIM models and provides an innovative and successful stagnation-based reconfiguration policy. The benefits of the new reconfigurable model are verified using the unsigned reversal distance optimization problem as a case study.