Ant colony optimization: Introduction and recent trends

Ant colony optimization is a technique for optimization that was introduced in the early 1990's. The inspiring source of ant colony optimization is the foraging behavior of real ant colonies. This behavior is exploited in artificial ant colonies for the search of approximate solutions to discrete optimization problems, to continuous optimization problems, and to important problems in telecommunications, such as routing and load balancing. First, we deal with the biological inspiration of ant colony optimization algorithms. We show how this biological inspiration can be transfered into an algorithm for discrete optimization. Then, we outline ant colony optimization in more general terms in the context of discrete optimization, and present some of the nowadays best-performing ant colony optimization variants. After summarizing some important theoretical results, we demonstrate how ant colony optimization can be applied to continuous optimization problems. Finally, we provide examples of an interesting recent research direction: The hybridization with more classical techniques from artificial intelligence and operations research.     

Variational extension of the mean spherical approximation to arbitrary dimensions

We generalize a variational principle for the mean spherical approximation for a system of charged hard spheres in 3D to arbitrary dimensions. We first construct a free energy variational trial function from the Debye-Hückel excess charging internal energy at a finite concentration and an entropy obtained at the zero-concentration limit by thermodynamic integration. In three dimensions the minimization of this expression with respect to the screening parameter leads to the mean spherical approximation, usually obtained by solution of the Ornstein-Zernike equation. This procedure, which interpolates naturally between the zero concentration/coupling limit and the high-concentration/ coupling limit, is extended to arbitrary dimensions. We conjecture that this result is also equivalent to the MSA as originally defined, although a technical proof of this point is left for the future. The Onsager limitT ΔS ^MSA /ΔE ^MSA → 0 for infinite concentration/coupling is satisfied for all d ≠ 2, while ford=2 this limit is 1. On leave from Department of Physics, University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, 00681.     

Directed paths with random phases

Directed Feynman paths in 1 + 1 dimensions that acquire random phases are examined numerically and analytically. This problem is relevant for the behavior of the conductance in two-dimensional amorphous insulators in the variable-range-hopping regime. Large-scale numerical simulations were performed on a model with short-range correlations. For the scaling of the transverse fluctuations ( t^ν), we obtain ν = 0.68 ± 0.025; and for the r.m.s free-energy fluctuations ( t^ω), we obtain ω = 0.335 ± 0.01. Up to 100 000 random samples were used for times as large as 2000. These results seem to exclude a recent conjecture that ν = 3/4 and ω = 1/2. Two versions of a model with long-range correlations are solved and shown to yield ν = 1/2; a physical explanation is given.     

Configurational assignment of fragment ions by CID. Stereochemistry and mechanism of retro-Diels–Alder fragmentation accompanied by hydrogen transfer in gas-phase cations

Low energy CID mass spectra of m/z 173, C₈H₁₃O₄⁺, obtained from the diethyl ester of cis,syn,cis-l,2,3,3a,4,5,5a,6,7,8-decahydroindacene-4,5-dicarboxylic acid and cis,syn,cis-l,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,8a,9,10,10a-dodecahydrophenanthrene-9,10-dicarboxylic acid indicate they have the structure of protonated diethyl maleate. This finding together with previous deuterium labelling results suggest that the formation of this ion from both precursors takes place by migration of a hydrogen atom from an allylic δ-position followed by the concerted cleavage of two allylic C? C bonds in analogy to the ground state retro-Diels–Alder fragmentation.     

Anisotropy parameters for molecules excited by electron impact

Rotationally resolved excitation of the a¹Δ_g and b¹∑ _g ⁺ states of O₂ is considered. Results for the relevant state multipoles are given. The anisotropy produced by electron impact is visualised by figures of the angular distribution of the molecular axes in the excited states.     

One-pot sequences of reactions with sol-gel entrapped opposing reagents: an enzyme and metal-complex catalysts

We extend our sol-gel methodology of one-pot sequences of reactions with opposing reagents to an enzyme/metal-complex pair. Sol-gel entrapped lipase and sol-gel entrapped RhCl[P(C(6)H(5))(3)](3) or Rh(2)Co(2)(CO)(12) were used for one-pot esterification and C-C double bond hydrogenation reactions, leading to saturated esters in good yields. When only the enzyme is entrapped, the homogeneous catalysts quench its activity and poison it. Thus, when 10-undecenoic acid and 1-pentanol were subjected in one pot to the entrapped lipase and to homogeneously dissolved RhCl[P(C(6)H(5))(3)](3) under hydrogen pressure, only 7% of the saturated 1-pentyl undecanoate was obtained. The yield jumped 6.5-fold when both the enzyme and the catalyst were immobilized separately in silica sol-gel matrixes. Similar one-pot esterifications and hydrogenations by sol-gel entrapped lipase and heterogenized rhodium complexes were carried out successfully with the saturated nonoic, undecanoic, and lauric acids together with several saturated and unsaturated alcohols. The use of (S)-(-)-2-methylbutanol afforded an optically pure ester. The heterogenized lipase is capable of inducing asymmetry during esterification with a prochiral alcohol. Both the entrapped lipase and the immobilized rhodium catalysts can be recovered simply by filtration and recycled in further runs without loss of catalytic activity.     

Ammonia chemical ionization tandem mass spectrometry in structural determination of alkaloids. II. Tetraponerines from pseudomyrmecine ants

Chemical ionization tandem mass spectrometry (CI-MS/MS) of alkaloids with ammonia reagent gas and collision-activated dissociation as well as EI-MS/MS were applied to the tetraponerine alkaloids in extracts from six pseudomyrmecine ants of the genus Tetraponera. The MS/MS techniques along with gas chromatography Fourier transform infrared (GC/FTIR) spectra allowed identification in two extracts of seven of the eight known tetraponerines. The EI-MS/MS fragmentations proved diagnostic for the ring system and the CI-MS/MS patterns for the C-8 or C-9 substitution, while the Bohlmann bands in FTIR spectra were diagnostic for the C-8 or C-9 configurations. An Indian ant (T. allaborans) had T-2, T-4 and T-8, while a Chinese ant (T. binghami) had T-5, T-6, T-7 and T-8. Four other ants, T. rufonigra (India), T. penzigi (Africa), T. clypeata (Africa) and T. sp. cf. emeryi (Africa), had no tetraponerines.     

Synthesis of bisimines of pyrene and dibenz[a,h]anthracene

The preparation of 3b,4a,7b,8a-tetrahydro-4H,8H-pyreno[4,5-b:9,10-b']bisazirine and of 1a,6b,7a,12b-tetrahydro-1H,7H-dibenz[3,4:7,8]anthra[1,2-b:5,6-b']bisazirine is described. The corresponding diepoxides were reacted with sodium azide in aqueous acetone and the mixtures of trans-azido alcohols, so formed, were cyclized by tri-n-butylphosphine.