An aphid inspired metaheuristic optimization algorithm and its application to engineering.

The biologically inspired metaheuristic algorithm obtains the optimal solution by simulating the living habits or behavior characteristics of creatures in nature. It has been widely used in many fields. A new bio-inspired algorithm, Aphids Optimization Algorithm (AOA), is proposed in this paper. This algorithm simulates the foraging process of aphids with wings, including the generation of winged aphids, flight mood, and attack mood. Concurrently, the corresponding optimization models are presented according to the above phases. At the phase of the flight mood, according to the comprehensive influence of energy and the airflow, the individuals adaptively choose the flight mode to migrate; at the phase of attack mood, individuals use their sense of smell and vision to locate food sources for movement. Experiments on benchmark test functions and two classical engineering design problems, indicate that the desired AOA is more efficient than other metaheuristic algorithms.