Simplifying multiobjective optimization: An automated design methodology for the nondominated sorted genetic algorithm-II

Many water resources problems require careful balancing of fiscal, technical, and social objectives. Informed negotiation and balancing of objectives can be greatly aided through the use of evolutionary multiobjective optimization (EMO) algorithms, which can evolve entire tradeoff (or Pareto) surfaces within a single run. The primary difficulty in using these methods lies in the large number of parameters that must be specified to ensure that these algorithms effectively quantify design tradeoffs. This technical note addresses this difficulty by introducing a multipopulation design methodology that automates parameter specification for the nondominated sorted genetic algorithm-II (NSGA-II). The NSGA-II design methodology is successfully demonstrated on a multiobjective long-term groundwater monitoring application. Using this methodology, multiobjective optimization problems can now be solved automatically with only a few simple user inputs.