What is Guided local search?

Guided local search is an optimization technique that enhances traditional local search algorithms by incorporating additional information to guide the search process. It does this by assigning penalties to elements of the solution based on their contribution to the objective function, encouraging the exploration of alternative configurations. As a result, it helps avoid local minima and improves the likelihood of finding better solutions. This method is particularly useful in combinatorial optimization problems where standard local search methods may struggle.