蚁群算法是一种群智能算法，也是启发式算法。基本原理来源于自然界蚂蚁觅食的最短路径原理。蚁群算法根据模拟蚂蚁寻找食物的最短路径行为来设计的仿生算法，因此一般而言，蚁群算法用来解决最短路径问题，并真的在旅行商问题（TSP，一个寻找最短路径的问题）上取得了比较好的成效。目前，也已渐渐应用到其他领域中去，在图着色问题、车辆调度问题、集成电路设计、通讯网络、数据聚类分析等方面都有所应用。(Ant colony algorithm is a population intelligent algorithm, and it is also a heuristic algorithm. The basic principle comes from the shortest path principle of the ant foraging in nature. The ant colony algorithm based on the simulation of ants to find the shortest path algorithm to design the bionic food behavior, so in general, the ant colony algorithm to solve the shortest path problem, and really in the traveling salesman problem (TSP, a search for the shortest path problem) has made good effect. At present, it has gradually applied to other fields, and has been applied in graph coloring, vehicle scheduling, integrated circuit design, communication network, data clustering analysis and so on.)