# A History of Metaheuristics

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/1704.00853 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/1704.00853/

## Key facts

- Cited by 6 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 4 Apr 2017.

## Built on by (most cited first, 6 of 6)

- [Artificial intelligence approaches for materials-by-design of energetic materials: state-of-the-art, challenges, and future directions](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2211.08179/) (2022)
- [A Tutorial on the Design, Experimentation and Application of Metaheuristic Algorithms to Real-World Optimization Problems](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2410.03205/) (2024)
- [Learning Heuristics for Transit Network Design and Improvement with Deep Reinforcement Learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2404.05894/) (2024)
- [A Neural-Evolutionary Algorithm for Autonomous Transit Network Design](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2403.07917/) (2024)
- [Neural Bee Colony Optimization: A Case Study in Public Transit Network Design](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2306.00720/) (2023)
- [Minimalist Genetic Programming](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2606.10237/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

This chapter describes the history of metaheuristics in five distinct periods, starting long before the first use of the term and ending a long time in the future.