An Uncertainty Measure for Prediction of Non-Gaussian Process Surrogates

Evol Comput. 2023 Mar 1;31(1):53-71. doi: 10.1162/evco_a_00316.

Abstract

Model management is an essential component in data-driven surrogate-assisted evolutionary optimization. In model management, the solutions with a large degree of uncertainty in approximation play an important role. They can strengthen the exploration ability of algorithms and improve the accuracy of surrogates. However, there is no theoretical method to measure the uncertainty of prediction of Non-Gaussian process surrogates. To address this issue, this article proposes a method to measure the uncertainty. In this method, a stationary random field with a known zero mean is used to measure the uncertainty of prediction of Non-Gaussian process surrogates. Based on experimental analyses, this method is able to measure the uncertainty of prediction of Non-Gaussian process surrogates. The method's effectiveness is demonstrated on a set of benchmark problems in single surrogate and ensemble surrogates cases.

Keywords: Evolutionary computation; Non-Gaussian process; data-driven evolutionary optimization; model management; surrogate.

MeSH terms

  • Algorithms*
  • Biological Evolution*
  • Uncertainty