Particle Swarm Optimization

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What Does Particle Swarm Optimization Mean?

Particle swarm optimization (PSO) is a population-based stochastic method that helps with optimization problems. It is modeled after natural processes, such as the flocking of birds or the movement of schools of fish.

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Techopedia Explains Particle Swarm Optimization

Particle swarm optimization works with a set of feasible solutions and constraints on an optimization problem. The optimization problem has to have a target condition – then the algorithm works to solve the problem and provide the best values.

Particle swarm optimization was developed in 1995 by Russell Eberhard and James Kennedy. These researchers started out looking at computer simulations of bird flocking, and then worked to perfect the algorithm based on this research. Now, particle swarm optimization can help engineers to solve all sorts of machine learning problems, based on the idea that monitoring the disparate “particles,” or, for example, parts of a peer to peer network, will deliver actionable insights.

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Margaret Rouse
Technology expert
Margaret Rouse
Technology expert

Margaret is an award-winning writer and educator known for her ability to explain complex technical topics to a non-technical business audience. Over the past twenty years, her IT definitions have been published by Que in an encyclopedia of technology terms and cited in articles in the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine, and Discovery Magazine. She joined Techopedia in 2011. Margaret’s idea of ​​a fun day is to help IT and business professionals to learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages.