Ant Colony Optimization Algorithm (ACO) and TSP

ACO algorithm mimics the behavior of real life ants and on how they interact with each other. The basic philosophy of the algorithm involves the movement of a colony of ants through the different states of the problem influenced by two local decision policies, viz., trails and attractiveness and two mechanisms, viz., trail evaporation and daemon actions. The algorithm aims to search for an optimal path based on the behavior of ants seeking a path between their colony and a source of food. Thereby, each such ant incrementally constructs a solution to the problem.