Comprehensive Taxonomies of Nature- and Bio-inspired Optimization:
  Inspiration versus Algorithmic Behavior, Critical Analysis and
  Recommendations
  In recent years, a great variety of nature- and bio-inspired algorithms has
been reported in the literature. This algorithmic family simulates different
biological processes observed in Nature in order to efficiently address complex
optimization problems. In the last years the number of bio-inspired
optimization approaches in literature has grown considerably, reaching
unprecedented levels that dark the future prospects of this field of research.
This paper addresses this problem by proposing two comprehensive,
principle-based taxonomies that allow researchers to organize existing and
future algorithmic developments into well-defined categories, considering two
different criteria: the source of inspiration and the behavior of each
algorithm. Using these taxonomies we review more than three hundred
publications dealing with nature-inspired and bio-inspired algorithms, and
proposals falling within each of these categories are examined, leading to a
critical summary of design trends and similarities between them, and the
identification of the most similar classical algorithm for each reviewed paper.
From our analysis we conclude that a poor relationship is often found between
the natural inspiration of an algorithm and its behavior. Furthermore,
similarities in terms of behavior between different algorithms are greater than
what is claimed in their public disclosure: specifically, we show that more
than one-third of the reviewed bio-inspired solvers are versions of classical
algorithms. Grounded on the conclusions of our critical analysis, we give
several recommendations and points of improvement for better methodological
practices in this active and growing research field.
