A Naïve String Algorithm

Many GIS problems are linked to global optimization. In this paper, we propose a new global optimization algorithm based on a string search scheme, termed as naive string algorithm. The algorithm has three fundamental features: (1) The states of the system is represented by strings of elements {0,1,2,3...,, s-1 } and hence the search of the optimal state(s) is realized by string manipulations; (2) A weighting system is created for a balanced global and local search to avoid the scheme trapping in local optimum; (3) The string operation is a pseudo-linear transformation such that the searching the optimum of a nonlinear multivariate objective function is essentially linear. The efficiency of algorithm is competitive not only the variate of objective function is low-dimensional but also high-dimensional. Three examples are given for illustrating the advantages of algorithm.