Accelerated Particle Swarm Optimization to Solve Large-Scale Network Plan Optimization of Resource-Leveling with a Fixed Duration

Large-scale network plan optimization of resource-leveling with a fixed duration is challenging in project management. Particle swarm optimization (PSO) has provided an effective way to solve this problem in recent years. Although the previous algorithms have provided a way to accelerate the optimization of large-scale network plan by optimizing the initial particle swarm, how to more effectively accelerate the optimization of large-scale network plan with PSO is still an issue worth exploring. The main aim of this study was to develop an accelerated particle swarm optimization (APSO) for the large-scale network plan optimization of resource-leveling with a fixed duration. By adjusting the acceleration factor, the large-scale network plan optimization of resource-leveling with a fixed duration yielded a better result in this study than previously reported. Computational results demonstrated that, for the same large-scale network plan, the proposed algorithm improved the leveling criterion by 24% compared with previous solutions. APSO proposed in this study was similar in form to, but different from, particle swarm optimization with contraction factor (PSOCF). PSOCF did not have as good adaptability as APSO for network plan optimization. Accelerated convergence particle swarm optimization (ACPSO) is similar in form to the APSO proposed in this study, but its irrationality was pointed out in this study by analyzing the iterative matrix convergence.