3S optimizer: a new meta‑heuristic global optimization algorithm

In this research, an original algorithm called 3S optimizer (3SO) is presented, which is inspired by swarm intelligence (SI) techniques. This novel proposed 3SO algorithm takes both the local exploitation and the global exploration into consideration, so it has satisfactory convergence speed and good solution accuracy. In order to evaluate the search ability of 3SO algorithm, this paper uses a set of famous test functions (including 23 functions of CEC-BC-2005 and 29 test functions of CEC-BC-2017). It proves that the 3SO algorithm has a great competitiveness with the most advanced optimization methods in terms of solution accuracy, convergence speed and stability from the experimental results. In order to fully demonstrate the practical application potential of the new technique, the 3SO algorithm is successfully applied to four engineering design problems. The simulation results show that the proposed 3SO algorithm can effectively deal with practical application problems.