Innovative Continuous Optimization Algorithm Based on Military Merit and Its Application

A metaheuristic algorithm named the Military Merit Algorithm (MMA) is proposed for global optimization, drawing inspiration from the ancient Chinese Qin Dynasty's practice of granting noble titles based on military merits. MMA simulates the process by which a soldier earns a title through military service using a mathematical model. The performance of MMA was demonstrated through three experiments: (1) Extensive comparisons were conducted with nine advanced optimization algorithms (PSO, GWO, CPSOGSA, HHO, HOA, WAA, RIME, NRBO, WOA) developed in recent years. These comparisons were based on experiments using the IEEE CEC2017, CEC2020, and CEC2022 benchmark functions. The results showed that MMA achieved a win rate of up to 88.24% across 51 tests. (2) The performance of MMA was further evaluated using the standard CEC2017, CEC2020, and CEC2022 test suites in combination with CEC-winning algorithms (LSHADE, AL-SHADE, LSHADE-cnEpSin) as well as high-performance algorithms (DE, SaDE, JADE, IMODE). The results indicated that MMA attained the first rank in Friedman’s mean ranking, demonstrating competitiveness with state-of-the-art algorithms. (3) MMA was effectively applied to solve five real-world problems, including the NP-hard logistics center location problem and three-dimensional UAV path planning, thereby showcasing its potential in tackling complex real-world optimization challenges. The results indicate that MMA exhibits strong performance and can be recognized as a high-performance optimizer.