HeuristicLab 3: User Manual

1. Introduction

1.1 Target Audience

This manual is intended for end users, domain experts and students who are not necessarily familiar with algorithm development in .NET. It therefore focuses on the graphical user interface and how to configure, customize and extend the available standard algorithm already available in HeuristicLab 3.3 for a particular problem without writing (a lot of) code. We believe that a successive transfer of competence in algorithm development from heuristic optimization experts to users working on real-world applications would be very beneficial for the community as a whole. This manual will slowly guide you through a number of tutorials after which we hope even novice users will no longer have to use metaheuristics as black box techniques, but can use them as algorithms which can be modified and easily tuned to specific problem situations.

2. Getting Started

If you start HeuristicLab, a splash screen will appear while all the plugins are loaded. Afterwards you can select a HeuristicLab application on the start screen:

The standard configuration, which you can download on this homepage, is shipped with two applications:

• HeuristicLab Optimizer: The optimizer is the core application of the HeuristicLab Framework, providing a variety of metaheuristic algorithms, standard problem implementations, a comfortable test bench and modules for algorithm development and visualization. As an end user you will mostly work with the Optimizer.
• HeuristicLab Plugin Manager: The HeuristicLab architecture is based on plugins. All optimization algorithms and problems are realized as plugins and interact with each other via well-defined and extensible interfaces. The plugin manager allows you to browse, install and update available plugins from our centralized update location or manage your own plugins.

3. HeuristicLab Optimizer

4. Metaheuristic Tutorials

4.1 GA User Manual

4.2 GP User Manual

4.3 ES User Manual

5. Plugin Infrastructure

6. Conclusion