An improved opposition based learning firefly algorithm with dragonfly algorithm for solving continuous optimization problems

Nowadays, the existence of continuous optimization problems has led researchers to come up with a variety of methods to solve continues optimization problems. The metaheuristic algorithms are one of the most popular and common ways to solve continuous optimization problems. Firefly Algorithm (FA) is a successful metaheuristic algorithm for solving continuous optimization problems; however, although this algorithm performs very well in local search, it has weaknesses and disadvantages in finding solution in global search. This problem has caused this algorithm to be trapped locally and the balance between exploration and exploitation cannot be well maintained. In this paper, three different approaches based on the Dragonfly Algorithm (DA) processes and the OBL method are proposed to improve exploration, performance, efficiency and information-sharing of the FA and to avoid the FA getting stuck in local trap. In the first proposed method (FADA), the robust processes of DA are used to improve the exploration, performance and efficiency of the FA; and the second proposed method (OFA) uses an Opposition-Based Learning (OBL) algorithm to accelerate the convergence and exploration of the FA. Finally, in the third approach, which is referred to as OFADA in this paper, a hybridization of the hybrid FADA and the OBL method is used to improve the convergence and accuracy of the FA. The three proposed methods were implemented on functions with 2, 4, 10, and 30 dimensions. The results of the implementation of these three proposed methods showed that OFADA approach outperformed the other two proposed methods and other compared metaheuristic algorithms in different dimensions. In addition, all the three proposed methods provided better results compared with other metaheuristic algorithms on smalldimensional functions. However, performance of many metaheuristic algorithms decreased with increasing the dimensions of the functions. While the three proposed methods, in particular the OFADA approach, have been able to make better converge with the higher-dimensional optimization functions toward the target in comparison with other metaheuristic algorithms, and to show a high performance.