A Transition Control Mechanism for Artificial Bee Colony (ABC) Algorithm

Artificial Bee Colony (ABC) algorithm inspired by the complex search and foraging behaviors of real honey bees is one of the most promising implementations of the Swarm Intelligence- (SI-) based optimization algorithms. Due to its robust and phase-divided structure, the ABC algorithm has been successfully applied to different types of optimization problems. However, some assumptions that are made with the purpose of reducing implementation difficulties about the sophisticated behaviours of employed, onlooker, and scout bees still require changes with the more literal procedures. In this study, the ABC algorithm and its well-known variants are powered by adding a new control mechanism in which the decision-making process of the employed bees managing transitions to the dance area is modeled. Experimental studies with different types of problems and analysis about the parallelization showed that the newly proposed approach significantly improved the qualities of the final solutions and convergence characteristics compared to the standard implementations of the ABC algorithms.