{"id":"https://openalex.org/W4412623443","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1109/tnse.2025.3592367","title":"Can Large Language Models Be Trusted as Evolutionary Optimizers for Network-Structured Combinatorial Problems?","display_name":"Can Large Language Models Be Trusted as Evolutionary Optimizers for Network-Structured Combinatorial Problems?","publication_year":2025,"publication_date":"2025-07-24","ids":{"openalex":"https://openalex.org/W4412623443","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1109/tnse.2025.3592367"},"language":"en","primary_location":{"id":"doi:10.1109/tnse.2025.3592367","is_oa":false,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1109/tnse.2025.3592367","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S2484352698","display_name":"IEEE Transactions on Network Science and Engineering","issn_l":"2327-4697","issn":["2327-4697","2334-329X"],"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":true,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310319808","host_organization_name":"Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310319808"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers"],"type":"journal"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"IEEE Transactions on Network Science and Engineering","raw_type":"journal-article"},"type":"article","indexed_in":["crossref"],"open_access":{"is_oa":false,"oa_status":"closed","oa_url":null,"any_repository_has_fulltext":false},"authorships":[{"author_position":"first","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5088493932","display_name":"Jie Zhao","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3315-4447"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I172675005","display_name":"Nanyang Technological University","ror":"https://ror.org/02e7b5302","country_code":"SG","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I172675005"]}],"countries":["SG"],"is_corresponding":true,"raw_author_name":"Jie Zhao","raw_affiliation_strings":["Division of Mathematical Sciences, School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Division of Mathematical Sciences, School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I172675005"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5051397981","display_name":"Tao Wen","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8490-1628"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I172675005","display_name":"Nanyang Technological University","ror":"https://ror.org/02e7b5302","country_code":"SG","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I172675005"]},{"id":"https://openalex.org/I28407311","display_name":"University of Manchester","ror":"https://ror.org/027m9bs27","country_code":"GB","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I28407311"]},{"id":"https://openalex.org/I4210108888","display_name":"University Alliance","ror":"https://ror.org/020pnfy52","country_code":"GB","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I4210108888"]},{"id":"https://openalex.org/I87253917","display_name":"Manchester University","ror":"https://ror.org/02aswte26","country_code":"US","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I87253917"]}],"countries":["GB","SG","US"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Tao Wen","raw_affiliation_strings":["Division of Mathematical Sciences, School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore","Alliance Manchester Business School, University of Manchester, U.K"],"raw_orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8490-1628","affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Division of Mathematical Sciences, School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I172675005"]},{"raw_affiliation_string":"Alliance Manchester Business School, University of Manchester, U.K","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I28407311","https://openalex.org/I87253917","https://openalex.org/I4210108888"]}]},{"author_position":"last","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5022778275","display_name":"Kang Hao Cheong","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4475-5451"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I172675005","display_name":"Nanyang Technological University","ror":"https://ror.org/02e7b5302","country_code":"SG","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I172675005"]}],"countries":["SG"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Kang Hao Cheong","raw_affiliation_strings":["Division of Mathematical Sciences, School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore"],"raw_orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4475-5451","affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Division of Mathematical Sciences, School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I172675005"]}]}],"institutions":[],"countries_distinct_count":3,"institutions_distinct_count":3,"corresponding_author_ids":["https://openalex.org/A5088493932"],"corresponding_institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I172675005"],"apc_list":null,"apc_paid":null,"fwci":8.5244,"has_fulltext":false,"cited_by_count":4,"citation_normalized_percentile":{"value":0.97329472,"is_in_top_1_percent":false,"is_in_top_10_percent":true},"cited_by_percentile_year":{"min":96,"max":98},"biblio":{"volume":"13","issue":null,"first_page":"1191","last_page":"1206"},"is_retracted":false,"is_paratext":false,"is_xpac":false,"primary_topic":{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10181","display_name":"Natural Language Processing Techniques","score":0.868399977684021,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1702","display_name":"Artificial Intelligence"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},"topics":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10181","display_name":"Natural Language Processing Techniques","score":0.868399977684021,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1702","display_name":"Artificial Intelligence"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10028","display_name":"Topic Modeling","score":0.8294000029563904,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1702","display_name":"Artificial Intelligence"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T12029","display_name":"DNA and Biological Computing","score":0.7980999946594238,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1312","display_name":"Molecular Biology"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/13","display_name":"Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/1","display_name":"Life Sciences"}}],"keywords":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/computer-science","display_name":"Computer science","score":0.7347458004951477},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/theoretical-computer-science","display_name":"Theoretical computer science","score":0.52654629945755},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/combinatorial-optimization","display_name":"Combinatorial optimization","score":0.4913407862186432},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/mathematical-optimization","display_name":"Mathematical optimization","score":0.38518449664115906},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/distributed-computing","display_name":"Distributed computing","score":0.3423810601234436},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/algorithm","display_name":"Algorithm","score":0.21497246623039246},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/mathematics","display_name":"Mathematics","score":0.17677608132362366}],"concepts":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/C41008148","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21198","display_name":"Computer science","level":0,"score":0.7347458004951477},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C80444323","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2878974","display_name":"Theoretical computer science","level":1,"score":0.52654629945755},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C52692508","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1333872","display_name":"Combinatorial optimization","level":2,"score":0.4913407862186432},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C126255220","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q141495","display_name":"Mathematical optimization","level":1,"score":0.38518449664115906},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C120314980","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q180634","display_name":"Distributed computing","level":1,"score":0.3423810601234436},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C11413529","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q8366","display_name":"Algorithm","level":1,"score":0.21497246623039246},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C33923547","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q395","display_name":"Mathematics","level":0,"score":0.17677608132362366}],"mesh":[],"locations_count":2,"locations":[{"id":"doi:10.1109/tnse.2025.3592367","is_oa":false,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1109/tnse.2025.3592367","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S2484352698","display_name":"IEEE Transactions on Network Science and Engineering","issn_l":"2327-4697","issn":["2327-4697","2334-329X"],"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":true,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310319808","host_organization_name":"Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310319808"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers"],"type":"journal"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"IEEE Transactions on Network Science and Engineering","raw_type":"journal-article"},{"id":"pmh:oai:pure.atira.dk:openaire_cris_publications/40c418ae-dbbb-4337-a3a2-1bd9b73e05d5","is_oa":false,"landing_page_url":"https://research.manchester.ac.uk/en/publications/40c418ae-dbbb-4337-a3a2-1bd9b73e05d5","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400662","display_name":"Research Explorer (The University of Manchester)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I28407311","host_organization_name":"University of Manchester","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I28407311"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"Zhao, J, Wen, T & Cheong, K H 2026, 'Can Large Language Models Be Trusted as Evolutionary Optimizers for Network-Structured Combinatorial Problems?', IEEE Transactions on Network Science and Engineering, vol. 13, pp. 1191-1206. https://doi.org/10.1109/TNSE.2025.3592367","raw_type":"info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion"}],"best_oa_location":null,"sustainable_development_goals":[],"awards":[],"funders":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/F4320320696","display_name":"Agency for Science, Technology and Research","ror":"https://ror.org/036wvzt09"}],"has_content":{"grobid_xml":false,"pdf":false},"content_urls":null,"referenced_works_count":51,"referenced_works":["https://openalex.org/W2899157217","https://openalex.org/W2989427140","https://openalex.org/W3082929087","https://openalex.org/W3118770506","https://openalex.org/W3119704631","https://openalex.org/W3135893459","https://openalex.org/W3186986159","https://openalex.org/W4285126738","https://openalex.org/W4286508886","https://openalex.org/W4293370649","https://openalex.org/W4313591084","https://openalex.org/W4319068890","https://openalex.org/W4319990061","https://openalex.org/W4321380739","https://openalex.org/W4327522152","https://openalex.org/W4362564062","https://openalex.org/W4365459358","https://openalex.org/W4367016625","https://openalex.org/W4385210979","https://openalex.org/W4385245566","https://openalex.org/W4385413320","https://openalex.org/W4385998263","https://openalex.org/W4387145966","https://openalex.org/W4388139328","https://openalex.org/W4389285870","https://openalex.org/W4389727268","https://openalex.org/W4390675566","https://openalex.org/W4391165364","https://openalex.org/W4391582451","https://openalex.org/W4392607797","https://openalex.org/W4393121801","https://openalex.org/W4393171197","https://openalex.org/W4396597490","https://openalex.org/W4400188273","https://openalex.org/W4400412195","https://openalex.org/W4400495035","https://openalex.org/W4401209657","https://openalex.org/W4401213014","https://openalex.org/W4401416311","https://openalex.org/W4402270921","https://openalex.org/W4402897562","https://openalex.org/W4404788800","https://openalex.org/W4405926581","https://openalex.org/W4406890914","https://openalex.org/W4408061340","https://openalex.org/W4408403178","https://openalex.org/W4409331437","https://openalex.org/W4409474263","https://openalex.org/W4409714917","https://openalex.org/W4413156646","https://openalex.org/W4414856407"],"related_works":["https://openalex.org/W4391375266","https://openalex.org/W2899084033","https://openalex.org/W2748952813","https://openalex.org/W2390279801","https://openalex.org/W4391913857","https://openalex.org/W2358668433","https://openalex.org/W4396701345","https://openalex.org/W2376932109","https://openalex.org/W2001405890","https://openalex.org/W4396696052"],"abstract_inverted_index":{"Large":[0],"Language":[1],"Models":[2],"(LLMs)":[3],"have":[4],"shown":[5],"strong":[6],"capabilities":[7],"in":[8,22,29,48,138,198],"language":[9],"understanding":[10],"and":[11,104,172,188,195],"reasoning":[12],"across":[13,119],"diverse":[14],"domains.":[15],"Recently,":[16],"there":[17],"has":[18],"been":[19],"increasing":[20],"interest":[21],"utilizing":[23],"LLMs":[24,43,58,81,139,184],"not":[25],"merely":[26],"as":[27,33,92],"assistants":[28],"optimization":[30,147,166,197],"tasks,":[31],"but":[32],"primary":[34],"optimizers,":[35],"particularly":[36],"for":[37],"network-structured":[38],"combinatorial":[39,164],"problems.":[40],"However,":[41],"before":[42],"can":[44],"be":[45,55],"reliably":[46],"deployed":[47],"this":[49,69],"role,":[50],"a":[51,73,93,106,131,144,161],"fundamental":[52],"question":[53],"must":[54],"addressed:":[56],"Can":[57],"iteratively":[59],"manipulate":[60],"solutions":[61],"that":[62,110,135,149,191],"consistently":[63],"adhere":[64],"to":[65,76,82,154],"problem":[66,85],"constraints?":[67],"In":[68],"work,":[70],"we":[71,96,129,142],"propose":[72,105],"systematic":[74],"framework":[75,109],"evaluate":[77],"the":[78,90,98,113,123,169],"capability":[79],"of":[80,116,122,175],"engage":[83],"with":[84],"structures.":[86],"Rather":[87],"than":[88],"treating":[89],"model":[91],"black-box":[94],"generator,":[95],"adopt":[97],"commonly":[99],"used":[100],"evolutionary":[101,124,186],"optimizer":[102],"(EVO)":[103],"comprehensive":[107],"evaluation":[108],"rigorously":[111],"assesses":[112],"output":[114],"fidelity":[115],"LLM-generated":[117],"operators":[118],"different":[120],"stages":[121],"process.":[125],"To":[126],"enhance":[127],"robustness,":[128],"introduce":[130],"hybrid":[132],"error-correction":[133],"mechanism":[134],"mitigates":[136],"uncertainty":[137],"outputs.":[140],"Moreover,":[141],"explore":[143],"cost-efficient":[145],"population-level":[146],"strategy":[148],"significantly":[150],"improves":[151],"efficiency":[152],"compared":[153],"traditional":[155],"individual-level":[156],"approaches.":[157],"Extensive":[158],"experiments":[159],"on":[160,182],"representative":[162],"node-level":[163],"network":[165],"task":[167],"demonstrate":[168],"effectiveness,":[170],"adaptability,":[171],"inherent":[173],"limitations":[174],"LLM-based":[176],"EVO.":[177],"Our":[178],"findings":[179],"present":[180],"perspectives":[181],"integrating":[183],"into":[185],"computation":[187],"discuss":[189],"paths":[190],"may":[192],"support":[193],"scalable":[194],"context-aware":[196],"networked":[199],"systems.":[200]},"counts_by_year":[{"year":2026,"cited_by_count":1},{"year":2025,"cited_by_count":3}],"updated_date":"2026-05-02T08:42:23.175194","created_date":"2025-10-10T00:00:00"}
