How do I tune the parameters for simulated annealing?

How do I tune the parameters for simulated annealing?

Tuning parameters for simulated annealing involves adjusting the temperature schedule, cooling rate, and stopping criteria. What specific aspect are you interested in?

I'm particularly curious about the cooling schedule.

The cooling schedule is crucial. A common approach is to start with a high initial temperature and gradually decrease it. You can use linear, exponential, or logarithmic cooling. Do you have a preference?

I think an exponential cooling schedule would work best for my problem.

Great choice! For exponential cooling, you can set the temperature at each iteration as T = T0 * alpha^k, where T0 is the initial temperature, alpha is the cooling factor, and k is the iteration number. Would you like help with choosing values for these parameters?

Yes, what values do you recommend for alpha?

A common value for alpha is between 0.8 and 0.99. A value closer to 1 will cool slowly, while a lower value will cool faster. It often depends on your specific problem and how quickly you want to converge.