An evolutionary approach to solve the dynamic multihop ridematching problem

The multihop ridesharing system generates a ridematching solution with an arbitrary number of transfers that respects personal preferences of the users and their time constraints with detour willingness. As it is considered to be NP-complete, an efficient metaheuristic is required in the application to solve the dynamic multihop ridematching problem. In this context, a novel approach, called Metaheuristics Approach Based on Controlled Genetic Operators (MACGeO), which is supported by an original dynamic coding, is developed to address the multihop ridematching problem. The performance of the proposed approach is measured via simulation scenarios, which feature various numbers of carpool drivers (vehicles) and riders (passengers). Experimental results show that the multihop ridematching could greatly increase the number of matched requests while minimizing the number of vehicles required.