Multi-strategy improved sparrow search algorithm based on first definition of ellipse and group co-evolutionary mechanism for engineering optimization problems

The Sparrow Search Algorithm (SSA) is recognized for its rapid convergence and precision in engineering optimization, yet it faces the challenge of premature convergence on complex problems. To address this, a multi-strategy improved sparrow search algorithm (MISSA) is proposed to enhance the optimization performance and applicability in this study. For the first time in the algorithm, the first definition of ellipses is integrated into SSA to balance its exploration and exploitation capabilities. A group co-evolutionary mechanism is introduced to promote population diversity and suppress premature convergence. Unlike most existing work, ablation experiments are utilized to evaluate the effective impact of these enhancement strategies on SSA. Statistical results based on the Wilcoxon signed-rank test and Friedman test show that the dynamic regulator based on the first definition of ellipses has the greatest impact on improving the performance of SSA. Numerical experiments based on the CEC2017 benchmark problems are used as an optimization case to compare MISSA with the classical metaheuristic algorithm and other state-of-the-art variants of SSA. The results demonstrate the outstanding performance and immense potential of MISSA in problem-solving. The applicability of the proposed algorithm is validated through six actual engineering optimization problems, showcasing strong competitiveness in global optimization.