Multi-Stage Transfer Learning Evolutionary Algorithm for Dynamic Multiobjective Optimization

Recently, the application of transfer learning within dynamic multiobjective evolutionary algorithms (DMOEAs) has shown significant potential to solve dynamic multiobjective optimization problems (DMOPs). This approach utilizes the transfer learning technique which reuses information from previous environments to accelerate the search process in the new environment. However, the risk of negative transfer can lead to an erroneous search direction and inefficient use of computational resources. To address this issue, this paper proposes a novel multistage transfer learning DMOEA, named MSTL. The algorithm is designed to enhance the convergence and diversity of the population through the combination of the pre-transfer learning stage and the transfer learning and validation stage when environmental changes occur. In the pre-transfer learning stage, a suitable target domain, source domain, and validation classifier sample sets are generated guided by historical information. In the transfer learning and validation stage, the TrAdaboost technique to transfer knowledge from the target to the source domain, with the results verified by two validation classifiers to mitigate negative transfer. Experimental results demonstrate that our proposed algorithm outperforms four competing algorithms in terms of diversity and convergence on a widely recognized benchmark suite.