A discrete differential evolution algorithm for multi-objective permutation flowshop scheduling

Real-world versions of the permutation flowshop scheduling problem (PFSP) have a variety of objective criteria to be optimized simultaneously. Multi-objective PFSP is also a relevant combinatorial multi-objective optimization problem. In this paper we propose a multiobjective evolutionary algorithm for PFSPs by extending the previously proposed discrete differential evolution scheme for single-objective PFSPs. The novelties of this proposal reside on the management of the evolved Pareto front and on the selection operator. A preliminary experimental evaluation has been conducted on three bi-objective PFSPs resulting from all the possible bi-objective combinations of the criteria makespan, total flowtime and total tardiness.