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bbotk - Black-Box Optimization Toolkit

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bbotk is a black-box optimization framework for R. It features highly configurable search spaces via the paradox package and optimizes every user-defined objective function. The package includes several optimization algorithms e.g. Random Search, Grid Search, Iterated Racing, Bayesian Optimization (in mlr3mbo) and Hyperband (in mlr3hyperband). bbotk is the base package of mlr3tuning, mlr3fselect and miesmuschel.

Resources

There are several sections about black-box optimization in the mlr3book. Often the sections about tuning are also relevant for general black-box optimization.

Installation

Install the latest release from CRAN.

install.packages("bbotk")

Install the development version from GitHub.

pak::pkg_install("mlr-org/bbotk")

Example

# define the objective function
fun = function(xs) {
  - (xs[[1]] - 2)^2 - (xs[[2]] + 3)^2 + 10
}

# set domain
domain = ps(
  x1 = p_dbl(-10, 10),
  x2 = p_dbl(-5, 5)
)

# set codomain
codomain = ps(
  y = p_dbl(tags = "maximize")
)

# create objective
objective = ObjectiveRFun$new(
  fun = fun,
  domain = domain,
  codomain = codomain,
  properties = "deterministic"
)

# initialize instance
instance = oi(
  objective = objective,
  terminator = trm("evals", n_evals = 20)
)

# load optimizer
optimizer = opt("gensa")

# trigger optimization
optimizer$optimize(instance)
##    x1 x2  x_domain  y
## 1:  2 -3 <list[2]> 10
# best performing configuration
instance$result
##    x1 x2  x_domain  y
## 1:  2 -3 <list[2]> 10
# all evaluated configuration
as.data.table(instance$archive)
##            x1        x2          y           timestamp batch_nr x_domain_x1 x_domain_x2
##  1: -4.689827 -1.278761 -37.716445 2024-08-13 17:52:54        1   -4.689827   -1.278761
##  2: -5.930364 -4.400474 -54.851999 2024-08-13 17:52:54        2   -5.930364   -4.400474
##  3:  7.170817 -1.519948 -18.927907 2024-08-13 17:52:54        3    7.170817   -1.519948
##  4:  2.045200 -1.519948   7.807403 2024-08-13 17:52:54        4    2.045200   -1.519948
##  5:  2.045200 -2.064742   9.123250 2024-08-13 17:52:54        5    2.045200   -2.064742
## ---                                                                                    
## 16:  2.000000 -3.000000  10.000000 2024-08-13 17:52:54       16    2.000000   -3.000000
## 17:  2.000001 -3.000000  10.000000 2024-08-13 17:52:54       17    2.000001   -3.000000
## 18:  1.999999 -3.000000  10.000000 2024-08-13 17:52:54       18    1.999999   -3.000000
## 19:  2.000000 -2.999999  10.000000 2024-08-13 17:52:54       19    2.000000   -2.999999
## 20:  2.000000 -3.000001  10.000000 2024-08-13 17:52:54       20    2.000000   -3.000001

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Version

Install

install.packages('bbotk')

Monthly Downloads

18,605

Version

1.7.0

License

LGPL-3

Issues

Pull Requests

Stars

Forks

Maintainer

Marc Becker

Last Published

October 10th, 2025

Functions in bbotk (1.7.0)

ContextBatch

Batch Optimization Context
Codomain

Codomain of Function
Archive

Data Storage
ArchiveBatch

Data Table Storage
ContextAsync

Asynchronous Optimization Context
ArchiveAsync

Rush Data Storage
CallbackAsync

Create Asynchronous Optimization Callback
OptimInstanceBatchMultiCrit

Multi Criteria Optimization Instance for Batch Optimization
OptimInstanceAsyncSingleCrit

Single Criterion Optimization Instance for Asynchronous Optimization
OptimInstance

Optimization Instance
ObjectiveRFunMany

Objective Interface with Custom R Function
ObjectiveRFunDt

Objective interface for basic R functions.
OptimInstanceBatch

Optimization Instance for Batch Optimization
OptimInstanceAsyncMultiCrit

Multi Criteria Optimization Instance for Asynchronous Optimization
OptimInstanceAsync

Optimization Instance for Asynchronous Optimization
ObjectiveRFun

Objective interface with custom R function
OptimInstanceBatchSingleCrit

Single Criterion Optimization Instance for Batch Optimization
assign_result_default

Default Assign Result Function
OptimInstanceMultiCrit

Multi Criteria Optimization Instance for Batch Optimization
Progressor

Progressor
OptimizerBatch

Batch Optimizer
as_terminator

Convert to a Terminator
OptimInstanceSingleCrit

Single Criterion Optimization Instance for Batch Optimization
Optimizer

Optimizer
OptimizerAsync

Asynchronous Optimizer
bb_optimize

Black-Box Optimization
Terminator

Abstract Terminator Class
branin

Branin Function
callback_async

Create Asynchronous Optimization Callback
bbotk_worker_loop

Worker loop for Rush
callback_batch

Create Batch Optimization Callback
bbotk.backup

Backup Archive Callback
bbotk.async_freeze_archive

Freeze Archive Callback
is_dominated

Calculate which points are dominated
bbotk-package

bbotk: Black-Box Optimization Toolkit
bbotk_reflections

Reflections for bbotk
bbotk_assertions

Assertion for bbotk objects
local_search_control

Local Search Control
mlr_optimizers_async_design_points

Asynchronous Optimization via Design Points
mlr_optimizers_chain

Run Optimizers Sequentially
mlr_optimizers_focus_search

Optimization via Focus Search
mlr_optimizers_async_grid_search

Asynchronous Optimization via Grid Search
local_search

Local Search
mlr_optimizers_cmaes

Optimization via Covariance Matrix Adaptation Evolution Strategy
mlr_optimizers_design_points

Optimization via Design Points
mlr_optimizers

Dictionary of Optimizer
mlr_optimizers_async_random_search

Asynchronous Optimization via Random Search
mlr_optimizers_nloptr

Non-linear Optimization
mlr_terminators

Dictionary of Terminators
mlr_optimizers_random_search

Optimization via Random Search
mlr_terminators_combo

Combine Terminators
mlr_optimizers_gensa

Generalized Simulated Annealing
mlr_optimizers_local_search

Local Search
mlr_optimizers_grid_search

Optimization via Grid Search
mlr_terminators_clock_time

Clock Time Terminator
mlr_terminators_evals

Terminator that stops after a number of evaluations
mlr_optimizers_irace

Iterated Racing
nds_selection

Best points w.r.t. non dominated sorting with hypervolume contribution.
mlr_terminators_stagnation_hypervolume

Stagnation Hypervolume Terminator
oi_async

Syntactic Sugar for Asynchronous Optimization Instance Construction
opt

Syntactic Sugar Optimizer Construction
mlr_terminators_none

None Terminator
mlr_terminators_stagnation_batch

Terminator that stops when optimization does not improve
mlr_terminators_perf_reached

Performance Level Terminator
oi

Syntactic Sugar for Optimization Instance Construction
mlr_terminators_stagnation

Terminator that stops when optimization does not improve
mlr_terminators_run_time

Run Time Terminator
reexports

Objects exported from other packages
trafo_xs

Calculate the transformed x-values
tiny_logging

Tiny Logging
shrink_ps

Shrink a ParamSet towards a point.
search_start

Get start values for optimizers
transform_xdt_to_xss

Calculates the transformed x-values
trm

Syntactic Sugar Terminator Construction
terminated_error

Termination Error
optimize_batch_default

Default Batch Optimization Function
tiny_result

Tiny Result
optimize_async_default

Default Asynchronous Optimization
ArchiveAsyncFrozen

Frozen Rush Data Storage
CallbackBatch

Create Batch Optimization Callback
Objective

Objective Function with Domain and Codomain