Beyond Trial and Error: A Comprehensive Classification of Metaheuristics along with Metaphor Criterion Development Trend

Objectives: The research aims to develop a comprehensive classification system for metaheuristics, categorize metaphor metaheuristics, and present the development trend and percentage representation of metaphor metaheuristics within each metaphor group. Method: A descriptive-based systematic review was conducted to collect data on studies concerning the classification of metaheuristics and the proposal of new metaheuristics. Data was sourced from Google Scholar, Science Direct, Springer, ResearchGate, and IEEE Xplore. For the first research objective, 148 studies were screened, resulting in the selection of six studies. The second and third research objectives involved screening 1145 studies, of which 654 were ultimately selected. This review considers studies published up to August 2023. The extracted data includes the characteristics of each classification and the name, abbreviation, author, year, and metaphor group for each metaheuristic reviewed. Findings: The results reveal that existing classifications do not cover the full range of metaheuristic characteristics. The data indicates a rising trend in the introduction of new metaheuristics over the years, with the peak occurring in 2020, boasting 68 new approaches, closely followed by 2022 with 57 introductions. However, between 1965 and 1992, progress was limited to only one or two new approaches annually, signifying periods of stagnation in the field. The majority of metaheuristics proposed are in the physics-chemistry metaphor group (20%), followed closely by human metaheuristics (18%). Novelty: The novelty of this study lies in its exhaustive classification of metaheuristics developed from 1965 to August 2023 based on the metaphor criterion, along with the development progression and percentage-wise representation of various metaphor groups using up-to-date data.