Tabu Search and Adaptive Memory Programming— Advances, Applications and Challenges

Tabu search (TS) has provided advances for solving difficult optimization problems in many domains. At the same time, fundamental TS strategies are often not applied as effectively as they might be, and their underlying rationale is often not completely understood. We examine basic concepts and principles of tabu search, emphasizing those that have sometimes led to applying the label "adaptive memory programming" to this class of methods. The goal of this paper is to focus on key themes that are given inadequate attention in many treatments of tabu search. We also examine basic TS strategies that provide useful alternatives to procedures often associated with "evolutionary" or "genetic" algorithms. Specific tabu search applications are also summarized to provide a clearer understanding of settings where the method is being used. Finally, we include an Appendix that identifies the elements of tabu search that are most neglected in implementations, and that can significantly improve its performance. (Published in: Interfaces in Computer Science and Operations Research. Barr, Helgason and Kennington, eds., Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1996.)