A Self-Adaptive Meta-Heuristic Algorithm Based on Success Rate and Differential Evolution for Improving the Performance of Ridesharing Systems with a Discount Guarantee

One of the most significant financial benefits of a shared mobility mode such as ridesharing is cost savings. For this reason, a lot of studies focus on the maximization of cost savings in shared mobility systems. Cost savings provide an incentive for riders to adopt ridesharing. However, if cost savings are not properly allocated to riders or the financial benefit of cost savings is not sufficient to attract riders to use a ridesharing mode, riders will not accept a ridesharing mode even if the overall cost savings is significant. In a recent study, the concept of discount-guaranteed ridesharing has been proposed to provide an incentive for riders to accept ridesharing services through ensuring a minimal discount for drivers and passengers. In this study, an algorithm is proposed to improve the performance of the discount-guaranteed ridesharing systems. Our approach combines a success rate-based self-adaptation scheme with an evolutionary computation approach. We propose a new self-adaptive metaheuristic algorithm based on success rate and differential evolution for the Discount-Guaranteed Ridesharing Problem (DGRP). We illustrate effectiveness of the proposed algorithm by comparing the results obtained using our proposed algorithm with other competitive algorithms developed for this problem. Preliminary results indicate that the proposed algorithm outperforms other competitive algorithms in terms of performance and convergence rate. The results of this study are consistent with the empirical experience that two people working together are more likely to come to a correct decision than they would if working alone.