Visual exploration of algorithm parameter space

In this article we apply information visualization techniques to the domain of swarm intelligence. We describe an intuitive approach that enables researchers and designers of stochastic optimization algorithms to efficiently determine trends and identify optimal regions in an algorithm´s parameter search space. The parameter space is evenly sampled using low-discrepancy sequences, and visualized using parallel coordinates. Various techniques are applied to iteratively highlight areas that influence the optimization algorithm´s performance on a particular problem. By analyzing experimental data with this technique, we were able to gain important insight into the complexity of the target problem domain. For example, we were able to confirm some underlying theoretical assumptions of an important class of population-based stochastic algorithms. Most importantly, the technique improves the efficiency of finding good parameter settings by orders of magnitude.