11/30/10 MATHEMATICS DEPARTMENT, FERRIS STATE UNIVERSITY

MATH COLLOQUIUM, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2010,

11:00 AM, STARR 136

SPEAKER: Benjamin Piering, Student,

Department of Mathematics, Ferris State University

TITLE: Ant Colony Optimization algorithms applied to the Travelling Salesman Problem

Abstract:

The travelling salesman problem has been studied for eighty years. This problem can be stated as, “Given an undirected, weighted graph G what is the shortest Hamiltonian cycle in G.” Many techniques for finding a near-optimal solution exist. In this talk I will present the basic principals of the Ant Colony Optimization class of algorithms and how they use probability, information from the graph, heuristics, and behavior found in nature to find near optimal solutions to the travelling salesman problem.

REFRESHMENTS: 11:00 AM, STARR 136

Please visit Math Colloquium website at

http://www.ferris.edu/htmls/colleges/artsands/Math/MATH_COLLOQUIUM/ColloquiumWeb/index.html