[DMANET] Competition on Permutation-based Combinatorial Optimization Problems in GECCO-2014

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Please accept our apologies if you receive multiple copies of this email.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

We cordially invite you to participate in the upcoming Competition on Permutation-based
Combinatorial Optimization Problems to be held at the Genetic and Evolutionary Computation
Conference (GECCO-2014), July 12th-16th, 2014, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.


-------------------------------------------- Home Page --------------------------------------------

http://www.sc.ehu.es/ccwbayes/Competition_GECCO2014/index.html


----------------------------------------- Important Dates -------------------------------------------

Code Release: March 1, 2014.
Submissions: June 1, 2014.
Publication: July 12-16, 2014.


--------------------------------------------- Description ---------------------------------------------

This competition is designed with the objective of providing a first overview of the current
state-of-the-art metaheuristic algorithms for solving permutation-based optimization problems.
In the last years, the analysis and solution of these permutation-based combinatorial optimization
problems has become one of the most challenging fields in mathematics as well as in computer
science. Many works in the literature have provided exact, heuristic and metaheuristic algorithms
for solving specific permutation-problems, but usually these works are compared with a low
number of problems and algorithms. In this sense, the aim of the competition is to evaluate and
compare as many algorithms as possible, on a wide set of problems. In this regard, the competition
organizers provide a code framework and a benchmark of a broad set of instances of classical
combinatorial optimization problems:

- Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP),
- Permutation Flowshop Scheduling Problem (PFSP),
- Linear Ordering Problem (LOP),
- Quadratic Assignment Problem (QAP).

In addition, we propose a benchmark of artificially generated instances, where each instance
has been customized in relation with the number of local optima and the size of the attraction
basins, in order to describe specific shape landscapes.

Both code framework and instances are available at the homepage of the competition.

Even though there is no restriction about the type of algorithm to submit, we encourage
competitors to propose innovative and efficient algorithms, so that this competition can be
a forum for new ideas.


------------------------------------------------- Results -----------------------------------------

As a result of the competition, a report with results, statistical analysis and discussion on the
submitted proposals to the GECCO 2014 Competition on Permutation-based Combinatorial
Optimization Problems will be published. The finalists selected by the organizers will be
invited to present their submission at the competition session, to be held during the GECCO
2014 conference. The winner of the competition will be announced at the end of this session.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The guidelines of the competition, the submission details and all the information needed to
participate can be found at the homepage of the competition:

http://www.sc.ehu.es/ccwbayes/Competition_GECCO2014/index.html

or by contacting the organizers by email at:

competition.gecco2014@ehu.es

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It would be greatly appreciated if news of this event could be passed on to any colleagues who
might be interested in submitting contributions to the Competition on Permutation-based
Combinatorial Optimization Problems.

This is a very innovative competition and the resulting conclusions will be a useful tool for the
scientific community! We look forward to your proposal!


--------------------------------------- Organization Committee -------------------------------

Leticia Hernando, *
Josu Ceberio, * Intelligent Systems Group
Alexander Mendiburu, * University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU)
Jose A. Lozano. *


**********************************************************
*
* Contributions to be spread via DMANET are submitted to
*
* DMANET@zpr.uni-koeln.de
*
* Replies to a message carried on DMANET should NOT be
* addressed to DMANET but to the original sender. The
* original sender, however, is invited to prepare an
* update of the replies received and to communicate it
* via DMANET.
*
* DISCRETE MATHEMATICS AND ALGORITHMS NETWORK (DMANET)
* http://www.zaik.uni-koeln.de/AFS/publications/dmanet/
*
**********************************************************