An effective hybrid firefly algorithm with the cuckoo search for engineering optimization problems

Firefly and cuckoo search algorithms are two of the most widely used nature-inspired algorithms due to their simplicity and inexpensive computational cost when they applied to solve a wide range of problems. In this article, a new hybrid algorithm is suggested by combining the firefly algorithm and the cuckoo search algorithm to solve constrained optimization problems (COPs) and real-world engineering optimization problems. The proposed algorithm is called Hybrid FireFly Algorithm and Cuckoo Search (HFFACS) algorithm. In the HFFACS algorithm, a balance between the exploration and the exploitation processes is considered. The main drawback of the firefly algorithm is it is easy to fall into stagnation when the new solution is not better than its previous best solution for several generations. In order to avoid this problem, the cuckoo search with Levy flight is invoked to force the firefly algorithm to escape from stagnation and to avoid premature convergence. The proposed algorithm is applied to six benchmark constrained optimization problems and five engineering optimization problems and compared against four algorithms to investigate its performance. The numerical experimental results show the proposed algorithm is a promising algorithm and can obtain the optimal or near optimal solution within a reasonable time.