Fractional-Order Water Flow Optimizer

Abstract The water flow optimizer (WFO) is the latest swarm intelligence algorithm inspired by the shape of water flow. Its advantages of simplicity, efficiency, and robust performance have motivated us to further enhance it. In this paper, we introduce fractional-order (FO) technology with memory properties into the WFO, called fractional-order water flow optimizer (FOWFO). To verify the superior performance and practicality of FOWFO, we conducted comparisons with nine state-of-the-art algorithms on benchmark functions from the IEEE Congress on Evolutionary Computation 2017 (CEC2017) and four real-world optimization problems with large dimensions. Additionally, tuning adjustments were made for two crucial parameters within the fractional-order framework. Finally, an analysis was performed on the balance between exploration and exploitation within FOWFO and its algorithm complexity.