An Optimal Differential Vector Incorporated Whale Optimizer

The whale optimization algorithm (WOA) is one of the more classic optimization algorithms, which derived from the hunting actions of whale. While WOA is well suited to exploitation, this also leads to a low level of exploration capability, making it difficult to break out of the local optimum. In this study, by incorporating the optimal differential vector in an effective whale optimizer, we propose a differential perturbation operation to break out of the local optimum namely differential vector whale optimization algorithm (DVWOA). According to experimental results based on IEEE CEC2017 benchmark functions, DVWOA is beneficial in the aspects of global search, convergence speed, and population diversity.