A hybrid genetic algorithmic approach to the maximally diverse grouping problem

The maximally diverse grouping problem (MDGP) is a NP-complete problem. For such NP-complete problems, heuristics play a major role in searching for solutions. Most of the heuristics for MDGP focus on the equal group-size situation. In this paper, we develop a genetic algorithm (GA)-based hybrid heuristic to solve this problem considering not only the equal group-size situation but also the different group-size situation. The performance of the algorithm is compared with the established Lotfi–Cerveny–Weitz algorithm and the non-hybrid GA. Computational experience indicates that the proposed GA-based hybrid algorithm is a good tool for solving MDGP. Moreover, it can be easily modified to solve other equivalent problems.