Abstract
A newly developed optimization method which uses the genetic algorithm combined with the sensitivity analysis is presented in this paper. The genetic algorithm is a probabilistic method, searching the optimum at several points simultaneously, requiring only the values of the object and constraint functions. It has therefore more chances to find global solution and can be applied various problems. Nevertheless, it has such shortcomings that even it approaches the optimum rapidly in the early stage, it slows down afterward and it can't consider the constraints explicitly. It is only because it can't search the local area near the current points. The traditional method, on the other hand, using sensitivity analysis is of great advantage in searching the near optimum. Thus the combination of the two techniques makes use of the individual advantages, that is, the superiority both in global searching by the genetic algorithm and in local searching by the sensitivity analysis. Application of the method to the several test functions verifies that the method suggested is very efficient and powerful to find the global solutions, and that the constraints can be considered properly.