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Introduction to Soft Computing

Assignment 6
TYPE OF QUESTION: MCQ
Number of questions: 10 Total mark: 10 X 2 = 20

Question 1: What property does the domination relation in a multi-objective optimization problem
exhibit?

a. Reflexive
b. Symmetric

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c. Transitive
d. Antisymmetric

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Correct Answer: C

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Detailed Explanation:

The domination relation in multi-objective optimization is not reflexive, symmetric, or antisymmetric.

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However, it is transitive, meaning if solution X dominates solution Y and solution Y dominates solution Z,
then solution X dominates solution Z.

Question 2: Consider two solutions, P and Q, for a problem where we want to minimize two objectives.
The solutions with their objective values are: 𝑃𝑃 = (1, 2) , 𝑄𝑄 = (2, 3) Which of the following are True?

a. P dominates Q.
b. Q dominate P.
c. Both dominate each other.
d. None of the above

Correct Answer: a

Detailed Explanation:

A solution dominates another solution if it is no worse on both objectives and strictly better on at least
one objective.

Given the solutions P = (1, 2) and Q = (2, 3), and considering that we want to minimize the objectives, we
can say:
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● P dominates Q: This is True. P is better in both objectives (1 < 2 and 2 < 3).
● Q dominates P: This is False. Q is worse in both objectives (2 > 1 and 3 > 2).

So, the correct answer is “P dominates Q”.

Question 3: Which of the following statements accurately describes the relationship between non-
dominance sets and Pareto optimal sets in multi-objective optimization?

a. The non-dominance and Pareto optimal sets are the same and can be used interchangeably.
b. The non-dominance set is a strict subset of the Pareto optimal set.
c. The Pareto optimal set is a strict subset of the non-dominance set.

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d. The non-dominance set and the Pareto optimal set are unrelated concepts.

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Correct Answer: a

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Detailed Explanation: In the context of multi-objective optimization, a solution is said to be Pareto

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optimal if another solution that dominates it does not exist. In other words, a Pareto optimal solution is
not dominated by any other solution. Therefore, the set of all Pareto optimal solutions is often called

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the non-dominance set. Hence, these two terms describe the same concept and can be used
interchangeably.

Question 4: Which of the following is NOT included in the list of non-Pareto-based multi-objective
optimization approaches?

a. Lexicographic ordering
b. Criterion selection (VEGA)
c. Simple weighted approach (SOEA)
d. Non-dominated Sorting based approach (NSGA)

Correct Answer: d

Please refer to slides, page number 30.

Question 5: What does the term "middling performance" refer to in the context of the VEGA approach?

a. Excellent performance in all objectives

b. Poor performance in all objectives
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c. Results neither very bad nor very good

d. Global optimization

Correct Answer: c

Detailed Explanation: Please refer to slide number 60 in the lecture materials..

Question 6: What is the basis of NPGA (Niched Pareto Genetic Algorithm) in its selection scheme?

a. Roulette wheel selection

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b. Tournament selection and Pareto dominance.
c. Stochastic universal sampling

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d. Rank-based selection

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Correct Answer: b

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Detailed Explanation: The basis of NPGA (Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm) in its selection

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scheme involves a combination of tournament selection and Pareto dominance. In multi-objective
optimization, NPGA uses Pareto dominance to identify nondominated individuals. Tournament selection
is then applied to choose individuals based on their Pareto ranks, promoting diversity and maintaining a
balanced representation of nondominated solutions in the population. This combination helps NPGA
efficiently explore the Pareto front and guide the evolutionary process toward finding a diverse set of
solutions.

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Question 7: How does NPGA determine the winner solution in its tournament selection?

a. The solution with the highest fitness value wins.

b. The solution with the lowest fitness value wins.
c. The solution based on Pareto dominance principle wins.
d. The solution selected randomly wins.

Correct Answer: c

Detailed Explanation: Explanation: In NPGA, the winner's solution in the tournament is determined using
the Pareto dominance principle, which ensures that the selected solution is non-dominated by others in
the comparison set.
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Question 8: What is the lexicographic ordering method in multi-objective optimization?

a. An a priori technique employing stochastic sampling.

b. A posteriori technique based on dominance relationships.
c. An a priori technique based on the principle of "aggregation with ordering."
d. A selection strategy involving tournament-based competition.

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Correct Answer: c

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Detailed Explanation: The lexicographic ordering method in multi-objective optimization is an a
priori technique that relies on "aggregation with ordering." In this method, objectives are ranked

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based on their importance, and solutions are sorted lexicographically. The lexicographic ordering
considers the most important objective first, and if there are ties, it moves on to the next objective

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in the order of importance. This process continues until a unique order is established for each
solution. Lexicographic ordering provides a deterministic way of comparing and selecting solutions
in multi-objective optimization based on their lexicographical order of objectives.

Question 9: In the context of Multi-Objective Genetic Algorithms (MOGA), what does "fitness sharing"
refer to?

a. A technique for evaluating the fitness of individuals based on their Pareto dominance.
b. A mechanism for sharing the fitness values equally among all individuals in the
population.
c. An approach for preventing premature convergence by penalizing solutions that are too
similar.
d. A method for randomly selecting individuals for crossover and mutation operations.

Correct Answer: c
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Detailed Explanation: Dominance-based ranking is a strategy in multi-objective optimization

algorithms where individuals in a population are ranked according to their Pareto dominance
relationships. Each individual's domination count, representing how many other individuals it
dominates, is determined by comparing objective values. Individuals that dominate no others are
assigned rank 1, forming the first non-dominated front. Subsequent fronts are created by
iteratively assigning ranks to remaining individuals. This approach organizes the population into
Pareto fronts, helping maintain diversity and guide evolutionary algorithms toward discovering
optimal trade-off solutions across conflicting objectives. It is a fundamental concept in algorithms
like NSGA-II and MOGA, facilitating effective selection and convergence towards Pareto fronts.

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Question 10: What is a significant disadvantage of the Vector-Evaluated Genetic Algorithm (VEGA)
regarding solution dominance?

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a. Solutions are locally and globally dominated

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b. Solutions are Pareto-dominated and globally dominated
c. Solutions are locally non-dominated but not necessarily globally dominated.

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d. Solutions are locally and globally non-dominated

Correct Answer: c

Detailed Explanation: The disadvantage of the Vector-Evaluated Genetic Algorithm (VEGA) is that the
solutions it generates are locally non-dominated, but their non-dominance is limited to the current
population and may not extend to being globally non-dominated across the entire search space.