Whale Optimization Algorithm: Implementation and Evaluation

The provided document is a report summarizing the research paper "The Whale Optimization Algorithm" published in Advances in Engineering Software. The main focus of the paper is the development and evaluation of a novel nature-inspired meta-heuristic optimization algorithm, named WOA, which mimics the bubble-net hunting strategy of humpback whales. The proposed solution involves mathematically modeling the whales' hunting behavior, specifically the encircling of prey and the spiral bubble-net feeding maneuver, to create an effective optimization algorithm. The WOA algorithm was tested on 29 mathematical optimization problems and 6 structural design problems. The results demonstrated that WOA is competitive compared to other state-of-the-art meta-heuristic algorithms and conventional methods. The paper concludes by highlighting the algorithm's potential and suggesting directions for future research, including exploring its application in various engineering disciplines and comparing it with other optimization techniques. The study also makes the source code of the WOA algorithm publicly available.