Comparison of algorithms for multi-objective optimization of radio technical device characteristics

Objectives. The selection of a method for solving multi-objective optimization problems has many practical applications in diverse fields. The present work compares the results of applying different methods to the selected classes of problems by solution quality, time consumption, and various other criteria.Methods. Five problems related to the multi-objective optimization of analog and digital filters, as well as multistep impedance-matching microwave transformers, are considered. One of the compared algorithms comprises the Third Evolution Step of Generalized Differential Evolution (GDE3) population-based algorithm for searching the full approximation of the Pareto set simultaneously, while the other three algorithms minimize the scalar objective function to find only one element of the Pareto set in a single search cycle: these comprise Multistart Pattern Search (MSPS), Multistart Sequential Quadratic Programming (MSSQP) method and Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithms.Results. The computer experiments demonstrated the capability of GDE3 to solve all considered problems. MSPS and PSO showed significantly inferior results than to GDE3 for two problems. In one problem, MSSQP could not be used to reach acceptable decisions. In the other problems, MSPS, MSSQP, and PSO reached decisions comparable with GDE3. The time consumption of the MSPS and PSO algorithms was much greater than that of GDE3 and MSSQP.Conclusions. The GDE3 algorithm may be recommended as a basic method for solving the considered problems. Algorithms minimizing scalar objective function may be used to obtain several elements of the Pareto set. It is necessary to investigate the impact of landscape features of individual quality indices and scalar objective functions on the extreme search process.