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APS » Journals » Phys. Rev. Lett. » Volume 89 » Issue 15
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Phys. Rev. Lett. 89, 150201 (2002) [4 pages]

Using Hysteresis for Optimization

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G. Zaránd1,2, F. Pázmándi2,3,5, K. F. Pál4, and G. T. Zimányi3
1Lyman Physics Laboratory, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02145
2Research Group of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Physics, TU Budapest, H-1521 Hungary
3Department of Physics, University of California, Davis, California 95616
4Institute of Nuclear Research of the Hungarian Academy of Science, P.O. Box 51, Debrecen, H-4001 Hungary
5Department of Theoretical Physics, University of Debrecen, P.O. Box 5, Debrecen, H-4010 Hungary

Received 8 May 2001; published 23 September 2002

We propose a new optimization method based on a demagnetization procedure well known in magnetism. We show how this procedure can be applied as a general tool to search for optimal solutions in any system where the configuration space is endowed with a suitable “distance.” We test the new algorithm on frustrated magnetic models and the traveling salesman problem. We find that the new method successfully competes with similar basic algorithms such as simulated annealing.

© 2002 The American Physical Society

URL:
http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevLett.89.150201
DOI:
10.1103/PhysRevLett.89.150201
PACS:
02.60.Pn, 75.10.Nr, 75.50.Lk
 
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