Iterative Optimizers: Difficulty Measures and Benchmarks

Almost every month, a new optimization algorithm is proposed, often accompanied by the claim that it is superior to all those that came before it. However, this claim is generally based on the algorithm's performance on a specific set of test cases, which are not necessarily representative of the types of problems the algorithm will face in real life.

This book presents the theoretical analysis and practical methods (along with source codes) necessary to estimate the difficulty of problems ...