This study proposes a new model and approach for solving a realistic extension of the Time-Dependent Traveling Salesman Problem, by using the concept of distance between interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy sets. For this purpose, we developed an interval-valued fuzzy degree repository based on the relations between rush hour periods and traffic regions in the “city center areas”, and then we utilized the interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy weighted arithmetic average to aggregate fuzzy information to be able to quantify the delay in any given trip between two nodes (cities). The proposed method is illustrated by a simple numerical example.

In this paper we revisit the memetic evolutionary family of metaheuristics, called Discrete Bacterial Memetic Evolutionary Algorithm (DBMEA), whose members combine Furuhashi's Bacterial Evolutionary Algorithm and various discrete local search techniques. These algorithms have proven to be efficient approaches for the solution of NP-hard discrete optimization problems such as the Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP) with Time Windows. This paper presents our results in solving the Traveling Repairman Problem (also called Minimum Latency Problem) with a DBMEA variant. The results are compared with state-of-the-art heuristics found in the literature. The DBMEA in most cases turned out to be faster than all other methods, and for the bigger benchmark instances it was also found to have better solutions than the former best-known results. Based on these test results we claim to have found the best approach and thus we suggest the use of the DBMEA for the Traveling Repairman Problem, especially for large instances.

This paper presents a Mamdani fuzzy inference system (FIS) designed for predicting tennis match outcomes with greater accuracy compared to existing models such as the Weighted Elo (WElo) ranking system. By integrating factors like historical performance, surface-specific proficiency, and recent form trends, the Mamdani FIS provides a nuanced approach to forecasting match results. Central to this method is the optimization of membership functions using a Bacterial Evolutionary Algorithm (BEA), which fine-tunes parameters to better model uncertainties inherent in sports analytics. This is the further development of Nawa and Furuhashi’s original approach of fuzzy system parameter discovery, which operates on the stricter conditions concerning the membership function shapes. The study demonstrates that the Mamdani FIS outperforms the traditional methods in both predictive accuracy and profitability of betting strategies. Through extensive validation, the model achieves higher accuracy and lower log loss metrics, indicating improved reliability in prediction outcomes. Additionally, the Mamdani FIS consistently yields higher returns on investment across various betting scenarios, showcasing its practical utility in sports betting applications. Overall, the proposed Mamdani FIS represents a robust tool for tennis match prediction, with potential extensions to other sports and predictive contexts. Future research may explore incorporating additional variables and applying this fuzzy inference approach to broader areas of sports analytics.

Spatiotemporal regulation of the biochemical information is often linked to supramolecular organizations proteins and nucleic acids, the driving forces of which have yet to be elucidated. Although the critical role of multivalency in phase transition has been recognized, the organization principles of higher‐order structures need to be understood. Here, we present a fuzzy mathematical framework to handle the heterogeneity of interactions patterns and the resultant multiplicity of conformational states in protein assemblies. In this model, redundant binding motifs can establish simultaneous and partial interactions with multiple targets. We demonstrate that these multivalent, weak contacts facilitate polymer formation, while recapitulating the observed valency‐dependence. In addition, the impact of linker dynamics and motif binding affinity, as well as the interplay between the two effects was studied. Our results support that fuzziness is a critical factor in driving higher‐order protein organizations, and this could be used as a general framework to simulate different kinds of supramolecular assemblies.

Flow-shop scheduling problems are classic examples of multi-resource and multi-operation scheduling problems where the objective is to minimize the makespan. Because of the high complexity and intractability of the problem, apart from some exceptional cases, there are no explicit algorithms for finding the optimal permutation in multi-machine environments. Therefore, different heuristic approaches, including evolutionary and memetic algorithms, are used to obtain the solution—or at least, a close enough approximation of the optimum. This paper proposes a novel approach: a novel combination of two rather efficient such heuristics, the discrete bacterial memetic evolutionary algorithm (DBMEA) proposed earlier by our group, and a conveniently modified heuristics, the Monte Carlo tree method. By their nested combination a new algorithm was obtained: the hybrid discrete bacterial memetic evolutionary algorithm (HDBMEA), which was extensively tested on the Taillard benchmark data set. Our results have been compared against all important other approaches published in the literature, and we found that this novel compound method produces good results overall and, in some cases, even better approximations of the optimum than any of the so far proposed solutions.