Journal of Bionic Engineering (2023) 20:158–183  https://doi.org/10.1007/s42235-022-00255-4 

CQFFA: A Chaotic Quasi-oppositional Farmland Fertility Algorithm for Solving Engineering Optimization Problems 

Farhad Soleimanian Gharehchopogh1  · Mohammad H. Nadimi?Shahraki2,3 · Saeid Barshandeh4  · Benyamin Abdollahzadeh1  · Hoda Zamani2,3

1 Department of Computer Engineering, Urmia Branch, Islamic Azad University, Urmia 969, Iran
2 Faculty of Computer Engineering, Najafabad Branch, Islamic Azad University, Najafabad 517, Iran
3 Big Data Research Center, Najafabad Branch, Islamic Azad University, Najafabad 517, Iran
4 Afagh Higher Education Institute, Urmia 969, Iran 

Abstract  Farmland Fertility Algorithm (FFA) is a recent nature-inspired metaheuristic algorithm for solving optimization problems. Nevertheless, FFA has some drawbacks: slow convergence and imbalance of diversifcation (exploration) and intensifcation (exploitation). An adaptive mechanism in every algorithm can achieve a proper balance between exploration and exploitation. The literature shows that chaotic maps are incorporated into metaheuristic algorithms to eliminate these drawbacks. Therefore, in this paper, twelve chaotic maps have been embedded into FFA to fnd the best numbers of prospectors to increase the exploitation of the best promising solutions. Furthermore, the Quasi-Oppositional-Based Learning (QOBL) mechanism enhances the exploration speed and convergence rate; we name a CQFFA algorithm. The improvements have been made in line with the weaknesses of the FFA algorithm because the FFA algorithm has fallen into the optimal local trap in solving some complex problems or does not have sufcient ability in the intensifcation component. The results obtained show that the proposed CQFFA model has been signifcantly improved. It is applied to twenty-three widely-used test functions and compared with similar state-of-the-art algorithms statistically and visually. Also, the CQFFA algorithm has evaluated six real-world engineering problems. The experimental results showed that the CQFFA algorithm outperforms other competitor algorithms. 

Keywords  Nature-inspired algorithm · Farmland fertility algorithm · Chaotic maps · Quasi · Engineering optimization problems