Meta-heuristic algorithms are applied in optimization problems in a variety of fields, including engineering, economics, and computer science. In this paper, seven population-based meta-heuristic algorithms are employed for size and geometry optimization of truss structures. These algorithms consist of the Artificial Bee Colony algorithm, Cyclical Parthenogenesis Algorithm, Cuckoo Search algorithm, Teaching-Learning-Based Optimization algorithm, Vibrating Particles System algorithm, Water Evaporation Optimization, and a hybridized ABC-TLBO algorithm. The Taguchi method is employed to tune the parameters of the meta-heuristics. Optimization aims to minimize the weight of truss structures while satisfying some constraints on their natural frequencies. The capability and robustness of the algorithms is investigated through four well-known benchmark truss structure examples.

Keywords: structural optimization, optimal design, meta-heuristic algorithms, truss structures, natural frequency, Taguchi method.

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