An analysis on the effect of selection on exploration in particle swarm optimization and differential evolution

The goal of exploration to produce diverse search points throughout the search space can be countered by the goal of selection to focus search around the fittest current solution(s). In the limit, if all exploratory search points are rejected by selection, then the behaviour of the metaheuristic will be equivalent to one which performs no exploration at all (e.g. hill climbing). The effects of selection on exploration are clearly important, but our review of the literature indicates limited coverage. To address this deficit, we introduce new experiments which can specifically highlight the occurrence of “failed exploration” and its effects through selection that can trap a metaheuristic in a less promising part of the search space. We subsequently propose new lines of research to reduce the effects of selection and failed exploration which we believe are distinctly different from traditional lines of research to increase (pre-selection) exploration.