An Overview of Heuristics and Metaheuristics

There are numerous optimisation problems for which heuristics are currently the only practical solution method. This chapter explains the need for heuristics before providing a brief overview of heuristic search techniques including metaheuristics. These include traditional local search methods including simulated annealing and tabu search, population methods including genetic algorithms and ant colony optimisation and more recently proposed methods such as harmony search and particle swarm optimisation. Examples are provided from successful applications and we will also discuss potential future research avenues.