This book addresses the principles and applications of metaheuristic approaches in engineering and related fields. The first part covers metaheuristics tools and techniques such as ant colony optimization and Tabu search, and their applications to several classes of optimization problems. In turn, the book's second part focuses on a wide variety of metaheuristics applications in engineering and/or the applied sciences, e.g. in smart grids and renewable energy. In addition, the simulation codes for the problems discussed are included in an appendix for ready reference.

Intended for researchers aspiring to learn and apply metaheuristic techniques, and gathering contributions by prominent experts in the field, the book offers readers an essential introduction to metaheuristics, its theoretical aspects and applications.