New algorithm for parameter inversion in geotechnical engineering

The principle and the main characteristics of particle swarm optimization, a new simulating evolutionary algorithm proposed recently, are introduced. For the purpose of increasing the local-searching efficiency of the particle swarm optimization, a hybrid approach is presented by combining the particle swarm optimization with simplex method, and the hybrid approach is applied to the parameter inversion in geotechnical engineering. The results of an example show that the hybrid approach is of strong ability to obtain global minima, and its performances are superior to those of single method.