Efficient state transition algorithm with guaranteed optimality

The state transition algorithm (STA), as an intelligent optimization method grounded in constructivist learning, has been demonstrated to be highly effective in solving complex optimization problems. However, the standard STA suffers from slow convergence, particularly in the later stages when dealing with flat landscapes. Additionally, users are required to set the maximum number of iterations based on intuition. To address these issues, an enhanced STA with guaranteed optimality is introduced. This improvement involves three key components. First, novel translation transformations, inspired by predictive modeling, are developed to generate a broader set of candidate solutions by leveraging historical data. Second, adaptive parameter control strategies are incorporated to accelerate convergence. Finally, a dedicated termination condition is designed to ensure that the algorithm converges at the optimal solution, analogous to the zero gradient condition in mathematical programming. The comprehensive experimental results validate the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed method. The source codes for ESTA and EXSTA will be publicly available at: https://github.com/tiezhongyu2005/ESTA.