Solving the Regenerator Location Problem using Swarm Intelligence Algorithms

In optical networks, due to deficiencies in the fibre (attenuation, dispersion, conversion)the signal strength deteriorates as it gets further away from its source. For that reason, the distance that a signal can travel without losing or corrupting information is limited. Therefore, it is necessary to regenerate the signals periodically using regenerators. Given an optical network, the regenerator location problem tries to install a subset of regenerators with the minimum possible cost, in a way that each pair of nodes can communicate with each other. In this paper, two swarm optimisation algorithms: Ant Colony Optimisation and Bees Algorithm are used to solve this problem. We compare our results with other algorithms used in literature to solve the same problem. Simulation results obtained using 480 different instances prove their efficiency in solving the regenerator location problem.