Efficient optimization processes using kriging approximation models in electrical impedance tomography

A reduced model technique based on kriging approximations is developed in order to increase the rate of convergence of an evolution strategy (ES) when solving a non-destructive evaluation problem. The inverse problem investigated consists of identifying the geometry of discontinuities in a conductive material from Cauchy data measurements taken on the boundary. In this study, we use kriging approximation models in order to increase the rate of convergence of the optimization algorithm and to efficiently detect, from a computational time point of view, a subsurface cavity, such as a circle. The algorithm developed by combining evolution strategies and kriging approximations is found to be a robust, fast and efficient method for detecting the size and location of subsurface cavities. Copyright q 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.