Improved Binary Elk Herd Optimizer with Fitness Balance Distance for Feature Selection Using Gene Expression Data

Mohamed Wajdi Ouertani, Raja Oueslati, Ghaith Manita, Ghaith Manita

2025

Abstract

This research paper introduces an enhanced version of the Binary Elk Herd Optimizer (BEHO), integrated with a Fitness Distance Balance (FDB) mechanism called FDB-BEHO, tailored for high-dimensional optimization tasks. This study evaluates the performance of FDB-BEHO across multiple gene expression datasets, focusing on feature selection in bioinformatics—a domain characterized by complex, high-dimensional data. The FDB mechanism is designed to prevent premature convergence by maintaining an optimal balance between exploration and exploitation, utilizing a diversity measure that adjusts dynamically based on the fitness-distance correlation among solutions. Comparative analyses demonstrate that FDB-BEHO surpasses traditional meta-heuristic algorithms in fitness values and classification accuracy and reduces the number of selected features, thereby enhancing model simplicity and interpretability. These results validate the effectiveness of FDB-BEHO in navigating complex solution spaces efficiently and underscore its potential applicability in other domains requiring robust feature selection capabilities. The study’s findings suggest that incorporating diversity-enhancing mechanisms like FDB can significantly improve the performance of binary optimization algorithms, offering promising directions for future research in optimization technology.

Paper Citation

in Harvard Style

Ouertani M., Oueslati R. and Manita G. (2025). Improved Binary Elk Herd Optimizer with Fitness Balance Distance for Feature Selection Using Gene Expression Data. In Proceedings of the 17th International Conference on Agents and Artificial Intelligence - Volume 2: ICAART; ISBN 978-989-758-737-5, SciTePress, pages 786-797. DOI: 10.5220/0013367600003890

in Bibtex Style

@conference{icaart25,
author={Mohamed Wajdi Ouertani and Raja Oueslati and Ghaith Manita},
title={Improved Binary Elk Herd Optimizer with Fitness Balance Distance for Feature Selection Using Gene Expression Data},
booktitle={Proceedings of the 17th International Conference on Agents and Artificial Intelligence - Volume 2: ICAART},
year={2025},
pages={786-797},
publisher={SciTePress},
organization={INSTICC},
doi={10.5220/0013367600003890},
isbn={978-989-758-737-5},
}

in EndNote Style

TY - CONF

JO - Proceedings of the 17th International Conference on Agents and Artificial Intelligence - Volume 2: ICAART
TI - Improved Binary Elk Herd Optimizer with Fitness Balance Distance for Feature Selection Using Gene Expression Data
SN - 978-989-758-737-5
AU - Ouertani M.
AU - Oueslati R.
AU - Manita G.
PY - 2025
SP - 786
EP - 797
DO - 10.5220/0013367600003890
PB - SciTePress