Comprehensive review of the development of the harmony search algorithm and its applications

This paper presents a comprehensive overview of the development of the harmony search (HS) algorithm and its applications. HS is a well-known human-based meta-heuristic algorithm that mimics the process of creating a new harmony in music. This algorithm can be applied to different fields of research, owing to its ability to balance between exploitation (i.e., searching around the known best) and exploration (i.e., roaming the entire search space). Thus, numerous studies have been conducted to utilize HS in real-world optimization problems, and many variants and hybrid algorithms of HS have been developed to cope with different problems. In this paper, HS and its variants are reviewed from various aspects. First, we describe the HS algorithm and present how its parameters affect algorithm performance. Second, we describe HS classifications based on the well-known HS variants and hybrid algorithms, along with their applications. Finally, a discussion conducted on the strengths and weaknesses of the HS algorithm and the possibilities for its improvement. Focusing on related work from diverse fields (such as optimization, engineering, computer science, biology, and medicine), this paper can foster interests on the application of HS for multidisciplinary audiences