Hyperparameter tuning is a critical function necessary for the effective deployment of most machine learning (ML) algorithms. It is used to find the optimal hyperparameter settings of an ML algorithm in order to improve its overall output performance. To this effect, several optimization strategies have been studied for fine-tuning the hyperparameters of many ML algorithms, especially in the absence of model-specific information. However, because most ML training procedures need a significant amount of computational time and memory, it is frequently necessary to build an optimization technique that converges within a small number of fitness evaluations. As a result, a simple deterministic selection genetic algorithm (SDSGA) is proposed in this article. The SDSGA was realized by ensuring that both chromosomes and their accompanying fitness values in the original genetic algorithm are selected in an elitist-like way. We assessed the SDSGA over a variety of mathematical test functions. It was then used to optimize the hyperparameters of two well-known machine learning models, namely, the convolutional neural network (CNN) and the random forest (RF) algorithm, with application on the MNIST and UCI classification datasets. The SDSGA’s efficiency was compared to that of the Bayesian Optimization (BO) and three other popular metaheuristic optimization algorithms (MOAs), namely, the genetic algorithm (GA), particle swarm optimization (PSO) and biogeography-based optimization (BBO) algorithms. The results obtained reveal that the SDSGA performed better than the other MOAs in solving 11 of the 17 known benchmark functions considered in our study. While optimizing the hyperparameters of the two ML models, it performed marginally better in terms of accuracy than the other methods while taking less time to compute.

In this work, mechanisms for reducing chattering in a sliding mode controller (SMC) for the ball and plate system was developed. A Smoothed Sliding Mode Control (SSMC) scheme was first of all employed for reducing the chattering by replacing the signum function of the SMC with saturation function. Then, a Recurrent Elman Neural Network (RENN) was developed for optimal determination of the switching gain of the SSMC for the purpose of further reduction in chattering. Other variant of SMC developed with a view to further reduction in chattering is Smoothed Super Twisting SMC (SSTSMC). The results from each of the approaches were compared in terms of amplitude of chattering. The best variants were the RENNOSSMC and SSTSMC where the 0.07 m amplitude of chattering in the classical SMC was reduced to approximately 0. In this work, a double feedback loop was designed for the control of ball and plate system, where the inner loop was designed with proportional plus integral plus derivative (PID) controller to control the inner loop actuator. While, the outer loop of the system that controls the position of the ball on the plate was designed with the variants of the SMC in Matlab/Simulink environment.

Nowadays, the electrical power system has become a more complex, interconnected network that is expanding every day. Hence, the power system faces many problems such as increasing power losses, voltage deviation, line overloads, etc. The optimization of real and reactive power due to the installation of energy resources at appropriate buses can minimize the losses and improve the voltage profile, especially for congested networks. As a result, the optimal distributed generation allocation (ODGA) problem is considered a more proper tool for the processes of planning and operation of power systems due to the power grid changes expeditiously based on the type and penetration level of renewable energy sources (RESs). This paper modifies the AO using a quasi-oppositional-based learning operator to address this problem and reduce the burden on the primary grid, making the grid more resilient. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the MAO, the authors first test the algorithm performance on twenty-three competitions on evolutionary computation benchmark functions, considering different dimensions. In addition, the modified Aquila optimizer (MAO) is applied to tackle the optimal distributed generation allocation (ODGA) problem. The proposed ODGA methodology presented in this paper has a multi-objective function that comprises decreasing power loss and total voltage deviation in a distribution system while keeping the system operating and security restrictions in mind. Many publications investigated the effect of expanding the number of DGs, whereas others found out the influence of DG types. Here, this paper examines the effects of different types and capacities of DG units at the same time. The proposed approach is tested on the IEEE 33-bus in different cases with several multiple DG types, including multi-objectives. The obtained simulation results are compared to the Aquila optimizer, particle swarm optimization algorithm, and trader-inspired algorithm. According to the comparison, the suggested approach provides a superior solution for the ODGA problem with faster convergence in the DNs.

The particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm is widely used for optimization purposes across various domains, such as in precision agriculture, vehicular ad hoc networks, path planning, and for the assessment of mathematical test functions towards benchmarking different optimization algorithms. However, because of the inherent limitations in the velocity update mechanism of the algorithm, PSO often converges to suboptimal solutions. Thus, this paper aims to enhance the convergence rate and accuracy of the PSO algorithm by introducing a modified variant, which is based on a hybrid of the PSO and the smell agent optimization (SAO), termed the PSO-SAO algorithm. Our specific objective involves the incorporation of the trailing mode of the SAO algorithm into the PSO framework, with the goal of effectively regulating the velocity updates of the original PSO, thus improving its overall performance. By using the trailing mode, agents are continuously introduced to track molecules with higher concentrations, thus guiding the PSO’s particles towards optimal fitness locations. We evaluated the performance of the PSO-SAO, PSO, and SAO algorithms using a set of 37 benchmark functions categorized into unimodal and non-separable (UN), multimodal and non-separable (MS), and unimodal and separable (US) classes. The PSO-SAO achieved better convergence towards global solutions, performing better than the original PSO in 76% of the assessed functions. Specifically, it achieved a faster convergence rate and achieved a maximum fitness value of −2.02180678324 when tested on the Adjiman test function at a hopping frequency of 9. Consequently, these results underscore the potential of PSO-SAO for solving engineering problems effectively, such as in vehicle routing, network design, and energy system optimization. These findings serve as an initial stride towards the formulation of a robust hyperparameter tuning strategy applicable to supervised machine learning and deep learning models, particularly in the domains of natural language processing and path-loss modeling.