Niching genetic algorithm with restricted competition selection for multimodal function optimization

The niching method enables the genetic algorithm to be applied to the problems that require the location of multiple solutions in the search space. In this paper, a new niching method using restricted competition selection (RCS) is proposed to identify and search multiple niches (peaks) efficiently in a multimodal domain. To verify its validity, the proposed method is applied to some traditional mathematical problems and an induction motor design.