REVIEW OF NATURE-INSPIRED OPTIMIZATION ALGORITHMS APPLIED IN CIVIL ENGINEERING

Nature has always been an example of perfection and inspiration. In nature, everything has reasons why it is happening exactly the way it does. Nature-inspired optimization algorithms have become a rapidly growing area of research in all areas of life. Ant colonies find the shortest path to food, the evolution of the living world shows adaptation to the world around it. For example, bees find the optimal path to food and back to the hive. Optimization algorithms contribute significantly to solving many complex issues and achieving optimal results. This research paper outlines nature-inspired optimization algorithms, such as ant colonies, artificial immune systems, artificial neural networks, flocks of bats, bee swarms, firefly algorithms, genetic algorithms, and particle swarms. The purpose of this brief overview is to provide an easy-to-understand list of the basic features of the most common nature-inspired optimization algorithms as well as the potential applications of the aforementioned algorithms in civil engineering.