Particle swarm optimization (PSO). A tutorial

Swarm-based algorithms emerged as a powerful family of optimization techniques, inspired by the collective behavior of social animals. In particle swarm optimization (PSO) the set of candidate solutions to the optimization problem is defined as a swarm of particles which may flow through the parameter space defining trajectories which are driven by their own and neighbors' best performances. In the present paper, the potential of particle swarm optimization for solving various kinds of optimization problems in chemometrics is shown through an extensive description of the algorithm (highlighting the importance of the proper choice of its metaparameters) and by means of selected worked examples in the fields of signal warping, estimation robust PCA solutions and variable selection.