Abstract
A key limitation of existing swarm intelligence (SI) algorithms for Node Coverage Optimization (NCO) is their inadequate solution accuracy. A novel chaotic quantum-inspired leader honey badger algorithm (CQLHBA) is proposed in this study. To enhance the performance of the basic HBA and better solve the numerical optimization and NCO problem, an adjustment strategy for parameter α1 to balance the optimization process of the follower position is used to improve the exploration ability. Moreover, the chaotic dynamic strategy, quantum rotation strategy, and Lévy flight strategy are employed to enhance the overall performance of the designed CQLHBA, especially for the exploitation ability of individuals. The performance of the proposed CQLHBA is verified using twenty-one benchmark functions and compared to that of other state-of-the-art (SOTA) SI algorithms, including the Honey Badger Algorithm (HBA), Chaotic Sea-Horse Optimizer (CSHO), Sine-Cosine Quantum Salp Swarm Algorithm (SCQSSA), Golden Jackal Optimization (GJO), Aquila Optimizer (AO), Butterfly Optimization Algorithm (BOA), Salp Swarm Algorithm (SSA), Grey Wolf Optimizer (GWO), and Randomised Particle Swarm Optimizer (RPSO). The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed CQLHBA exhibits superior performance, characterized by enhanced global search capability and robust stability. This advantage is further validated through its application to the NCO problem in wireless sensor networks (WSNs), where it achieves commendable outcomes in terms of both coverage rate and network connectivity, confirming its practical efficacy in real-world deployment scenarios.