{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,11]],"date-time":"2026-09-11T05:06:41Z","timestamp":1789103201403,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":35,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"9","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,8]],"date-time":"2026-09-08T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1788825600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/100019783","name":"National Agency for Research and Development","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","award":["1262511"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["1262511"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100019783","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"crossref"}]},{"award":["1262511"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["1262511"]}],"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/02ap3w078","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Biomimetics"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Solving problems associated with the efficient distribution and organization of resources has generated increasing interest in the scientific community. One of the most commonly used approaches consists of approximate solution techniques, which have been able to solve complex covering problems within acceptable computational time and cost. One of the benchmarks used to evaluate these approaches is the Set Covering Problem, which is an NP-hard combinatorial optimization problem. Among the techniques that have been investigated, metaheuristics play an important role. These methods are commonly developed for continuous search spaces and, in order to be applied to covering problems, must be modified to operate in discrete domains. This modification presents an important challenge: finding an appropriate transformation method that translates continuous solutions into binary solutions. This issue has been addressed through two main strategies: binarization using two-step schemes, and, in our proposal, the use of repair operators orchestrated according to their performance through an Adaptive Repair Selection Mechanism based on the multi-armed bandit framework. To evaluate our proposal, we selected the Binary Hunger Games Search metaheuristic because the relative quality of each individual determines its hunger level, which in turn regulates the movement of the population and the influence of the best solution found. Infeasible solutions are handled through a set of Tabu Search-based repair operators. Instead of applying a single repair rule throughout the entire execution, the proposed approach dynamically selects among these operators according to their observed contribution during the search. Each repair operator also incorporates Tabu memory to discourage repetitive decisions during feasibility restoration. The experiments were conducted using the classical Beasley benchmark instances for the Set Covering Problem.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/biomimetics11090645","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,8]],"date-time":"2026-09-08T12:51:48Z","timestamp":1788871908000},"page":"645","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["A Novel Binary Hunger Games Search Algorithm with Data-Driven Repair for the Set Covering Problem"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"11","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5500-0188","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Broderick","family":"Crawford","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Escuela de Ingenier\u00eda Inform\u00e1tica, Pontificia Universidad Cat\u00f3lica de Valpara\u00edso, Avenida Brasil 2241, Valpara\u00edso 2362807, Chile"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"conceptualization","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"methodology","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"validation","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"formal-analysis","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"investigation","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"writing-review-editing","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"supervision","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"funding-acquisition","vocabulary":"credit"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0005-0789-7927","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Hugo","family":"Caballero","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Escuela de Ingenier\u00eda Inform\u00e1tica, Pontificia Universidad Cat\u00f3lica de Valpara\u00edso, Avenida Brasil 2241, Valpara\u00edso 2362807, Chile"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"conceptualization","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"methodology","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"software","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"formal-analysis","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"resources","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"writing-original-draft","vocabulary":"credit"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9913-0467","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Gino","family":"Astorga","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Escuela de Negocios Internacionales, Universidad de Valpara\u00edso, Alcalde Prieto Nieto 452, Vi\u00f1a del Mar 2572048, Chile"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"methodology","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"investigation","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"resources","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"writing-original-draft","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"writing-review-editing","vocabulary":"credit"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7723-7012","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Felipe","family":"Cisternas-Caneo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Departamento de Ingenier\u00eda Industrial, Facultad de Ingenier\u00eda, Universidad del B\u00edo-B\u00edo, Concepci\u00f3n 4051381, Chile"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"conceptualization","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"methodology","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"software","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"validation","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"resources","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"writing-original-draft","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"writing-review-editing","vocabulary":"credit"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0003-4949-7628","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Alan","family":"Baeza","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Escuela de Ingenier\u00eda Inform\u00e1tica, Pontificia Universidad Cat\u00f3lica de Valpara\u00edso, Avenida Brasil 2241, Valpara\u00edso 2362807, Chile"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"software","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"resources","vocabulary":"credit"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0005-4454-2105","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Pablo Puga","family":"Lucero","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Escuela de Ingenier\u00eda Inform\u00e1tica, Pontificia Universidad Cat\u00f3lica de Valpara\u00edso, Avenida Brasil 2241, Valpara\u00edso 2362807, Chile"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"software","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"resources","vocabulary":"credit"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2809-5120","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Giovanni","family":"Giachetti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Facultad de Ingenier\u00eda, Universidad Andr\u00e9s Bello, Antonio Varas 880, Providencia, Santiago 7591538, Chile"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"validation","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"writing-review-editing","vocabulary":"credit"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5755-6929","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ricardo","family":"Soto","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Escuela de Ingenier\u00eda Inform\u00e1tica, Pontificia Universidad Cat\u00f3lica de Valpara\u00edso, Avenida Brasil 2241, Valpara\u00edso 2362807, Chile"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"validation","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"formal-analysis","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"writing-review-editing","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"supervision","vocabulary":"credit"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,8]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","first-page":"1","article-title":"Use of metaheuristics for real-world problem solving","volume":"18","author":"Provided","year":"2024","journal-title":"Damascus J. Eng. Sci."},{"key":"ref_2","unstructured":"Garey, M.R., and Johnson, D.S. (1979). Computers and Intractability: A Guide to the Theory of NP-Completeness, W. H. Freeman and Company."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"101104","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jocs.2020.101104","article-title":"Nature-inspired optimization algorithms: Challenges and open problems","volume":"46","author":"Yang","year":"2020","journal-title":"J. Comput. Sci."},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1504\/IJBIC.2011.038700","article-title":"New inspirations in swarm intelligence: A survey","volume":"3","author":"Parpinelli","year":"2011","journal-title":"Int. J. Bio-Inspir. Comput."},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"29","DOI":"10.1109\/3477.484436","article-title":"Ant system: Optimization by a colony of cooperating agents","volume":"26","author":"Dorigo","year":"1996","journal-title":"IEEE Trans. Syst. Man Cybern. Part B"},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"28","DOI":"10.1109\/MCI.2006.329691","article-title":"Ant colony optimization","volume":"1","author":"Dorigo","year":"2006","journal-title":"IEEE Comput. Intell. Mag."},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"114864","DOI":"10.1016\/j.eswa.2021.114864","article-title":"Hunger games search: Visions, conception, implementation, deep analysis, perspectives, and towards performance shifts","volume":"177","author":"Yang","year":"2021","journal-title":"Expert Syst. Appl."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"8404231","DOI":"10.1155\/2017\/8404231","article-title":"Putting continuous metaheuristics to work in binary search spaces","volume":"2017","author":"Crawford","year":"2017","journal-title":"Complexity"},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Becerra-Rozas, M., Lemus-Romani, J., Cisternas-Ca\u00f1eo, F., Crawford, B., and Soto, R. (2022). Continuous metaheuristics for binary optimization problems: An updated systematic literature review. Mathematics, 11.","DOI":"10.3390\/math11010129"},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"392","DOI":"10.1016\/0377-2217(95)00159-X","article-title":"A Genetic Algorithm for the Set Covering Problem","volume":"94","author":"Beasley","year":"1996","journal-title":"Eur. J. Oper. Res."},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1155\/2013\/203032","article-title":"A New Formulation of the Set Covering Problem for Metaheuristic Approaches","volume":"2013","author":"Bilal","year":"2013","journal-title":"ISRN Oper. Res."},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"175","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cosrev.2009.07.001","article-title":"A Survey of Repair Methods Used as Constraint Handling Techniques in Evolutionary Algorithms","volume":"3","year":"2009","journal-title":"Comput. Sci. Rev."},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"190","DOI":"10.1287\/ijoc.1.3.190","article-title":"Tabu Search\u2014Part I","volume":"1","author":"Glover","year":"1989","journal-title":"ORSA J. Comput."},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"4","DOI":"10.1287\/ijoc.2.1.4","article-title":"Tabu Search\u2014Part II","volume":"2","author":"Glover","year":"1990","journal-title":"ORSA J. Comput."},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"43","DOI":"10.1007\/978-0-387-71921-4_3","article-title":"Tabu Search-Based Metaheuristic Algorithm for Large-Scale Set Covering Problems","volume":"Volume 39","author":"Caserta","year":"2007","journal-title":"Metaheuristics: Progress in Complex Systems Optimization"},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"750","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ejor.2015.05.038","article-title":"An Efficient Local Search Heuristic with Row Weighting for the Unicost Set Covering Problem","volume":"246","author":"Gao","year":"2015","journal-title":"Eur. J. Oper. Res."},{"key":"ref_17","first-page":"12","article-title":"Survey of multiarmed bandit algorithms applied to recommendation systems","volume":"9","author":"Gangan","year":"2021","journal-title":"Int. J. Open Inf. Technol."},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1791","DOI":"10.2147\/RMHP.S304475","article-title":"Optimization for Locating Emergency Medical Service Facilities: A Case Study for Health Planning from China","volume":"14","author":"Deng","year":"2021","journal-title":"Risk Manag. Healthc. Policy"},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Crawford, B., Caballero, H., Astorga, G., Cisternas-Caneo, F., Becerra-Rozas, M., Baeza, A., Bernales, G., Puga, P., Giachetti, G., and Soto, R. (2026). A Novel Binary Dream Optimization Algorithm with Data-Driven Repair for the Set Covering Problem. Biomimetics, 11.","DOI":"10.3390\/biomimetics11030197"},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"151","DOI":"10.1002\/1520-6750(199002)37:1<151::AID-NAV3220370110>3.0.CO;2-2","article-title":"A Lagrangean heuristic for set-covering problems","volume":"37","author":"Beasley","year":"1990","journal-title":"Nav. Res. Logist."},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"B\u00e4ck, T. (1997). Evolutionary Algorithms in Theory and Practice: Evolution Strategies, Evolutionary Programming, Genetic Algorithms, Oxford University Press.","DOI":"10.1093\/oso\/9780195099713.001.0001"},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Glover, F., and Laguna, M. (1997). Tabu Search, Kluwer Academic Publishers.","DOI":"10.1007\/978-1-4615-6089-0"},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"527","DOI":"10.1090\/S0002-9904-1952-09620-8","article-title":"Some Aspects of the Sequential Design of Experiments","volume":"58","author":"Robbins","year":"1952","journal-title":"Bull. Am. Math. Soc."},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"285","DOI":"10.1093\/biomet\/25.3-4.285","article-title":"On the Likelihood that One Unknown Probability Exceeds Another in View of the Evidence of Two Samples","volume":"25","author":"Thompson","year":"1933","journal-title":"Biometrika"},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Crawford, B., Soto, R., Caballero, H., Astorga, G., Cisternas-Caneo, F., Sol\u00eds-Pi\u00f1ones, F., and Giachetti, G. (2025). An Experimental Study of Transfer Functions and Binarization Strategies in Binary Arithmetic Optimization Algorithms for the Set Covering Problem. Mathematics, 13.","DOI":"10.3390\/math13193129"},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"591","DOI":"10.1093\/biomet\/52.3-4.591","article-title":"An analysis of variance test for normality (complete samples)","volume":"52","author":"Shapiro","year":"1965","journal-title":"Biometrika"},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"617","DOI":"10.1007\/s10732-008-9080-4","article-title":"A study on the use of non-parametric tests for analyzing the evolutionary algorithms\u2019 behaviour: A case study on the CEC\u20192005 special session on real parameter optimization","volume":"15","author":"Molina","year":"2009","journal-title":"J. Heuristics"},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"100665","DOI":"10.1016\/j.swevo.2020.100665","article-title":"Recent trends in the use of statistical tests for comparing swarm and evolutionary computing algorithms: Practical guidelines and a critical review","volume":"54","author":"Carrasco","year":"2020","journal-title":"Swarm Evol. Comput."},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"494","DOI":"10.1037\/0033-2909.114.3.494","article-title":"Dominance statistics: Ordinal analyses to answer ordinal questions","volume":"114","author":"Cliff","year":"1993","journal-title":"Psychol. Bull."},{"key":"ref_30","first-page":"101","article-title":"A critique and improvement of the CL common language effect size statistics of McGraw and Wong","volume":"25","author":"Vargha","year":"2000","journal-title":"J. Educ. Behav. Stat."},{"key":"ref_31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"120","DOI":"10.1016\/j.knosys.2015.12.022","article-title":"Sca: A sine cosine algorithm for solving optimization problems","volume":"96","author":"Mirjalili","year":"2016","journal-title":"Knowl.-Based Syst."},{"key":"ref_32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Aziz, N.A.A., Aziz, N.A.A., Aziz, K.A., and Aziz, K.A. (2022). Pendulum Search Algorithm: An Optimization Algorithm Based on Simple Harmonic Motion and Its Application for a Vaccine Distribution Problem. Algorithms, 15.","DOI":"10.3390\/a15060214"},{"key":"ref_33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Khaseeb, J.Y., Keshk, A., and Youssef, A. (2025). Improved Binary Grey Wolf Optimization Approaches for Feature Selection Optimization. Appl. Sci., 15.","DOI":"10.3390\/app15020489"},{"key":"ref_34","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Leiva, D., Ramos-Tapia, B., Crawford, B., Soto, R., and Cisternas-Caneo, F. (2024). A Novel Approach to Combinatorial Problems: Binary Growth Optimizer Algorithm. Biomimetics, 9.","DOI":"10.3390\/biomimetics9050283"},{"key":"ref_35","first-page":"65","article-title":"A Simple Sequentially Rejective Multiple Test Procedure","volume":"6","author":"Holm","year":"1979","journal-title":"Scand. J. Stat."}],"container-title":["Biomimetics"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2313-7673\/11\/9\/645\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,11]],"date-time":"2026-09-11T04:27:44Z","timestamp":1789100864000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2313-7673\/11\/9\/645"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,8]]},"references-count":35,"journal-issue":{"issue":"9","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9]]}},"alternative-id":["biomimetics11090645"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/biomimetics11090645","relation":{},"ISSN":["2313-7673"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2313-7673","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,8]]}}}