Metaheuristics for solving the biobjective single-path multicommodity communication flow problem

Single-path multicommodity flow problem (SMCFP) is a well-known combinatorial optimization problem, in which the flow of each commodity can be transmitted using only one path linking its destination to an appropriate origin within the addressed network. In this paper, we study the SMCFP in a multiobjective context by considering the simultaneous optimization of paths' delay and average reliability. The network is modeled as a finite set of nodes that can communicate using preestablished connections where each connection is characterized by a capacity, a lead time, and a reliability. A node can be an information producer or/and information consumer. The contention problem is solved by assigning a path and a dedicated bandwidth to each flow. The problem is formulated as a biobjective nonlinear optimization problem. This biobjective problem has not been considered in the literature. We design three alternative procedures for approximating the Pareto front. We proposed an MGA based on NSGA-II, a multiobjective variable neighborhood search and a new distance-based hybrid metaheuristic. The hybridization integrates a local search into the framework of genetic algorithm to effectively drive the search toward a better approximating of the Pareto front. The propounded algorithms' efficiencies are experimentally investigated on a test bed of instances applied to a planar and a grid network. A comparative study is conducted based on different multiobjective performance indicators.