Introduction

Abstract

This book teaches us how to design efficient and effective modern heuristics. With the term modern heuristics, we denote improvement heuristics that can be applied to a wide range of different problems (they are general-purpose methods) and that use during search both intensification (exploitation) and diversification (exploration) steps. Throughout the book, we learn

• for which types of problems we should use modern heuristics,

• how we can select a modern heuristic that fits well to our problem,

• what are common design elements of modern heuristics,

• how we can categorize different types of modern heuristics,

• what are basic principles for the design of modern heuristics, and

• how we can use problem-specific knowledge for the design of modern heuristics.

We do not study single modern heuristics independently of each other, but provide an integrated view by focusing on common design elements and general design principles of modern heuristics.