RESUMO
Objective To find out more extrema simultaneously including global optimum and multiple local optima existed in multi-modal functions. Methods Germinal center is the generator and selector of high-affinity B cells, a multicellular group's artificial immune algorithm was proposed based on the germinal center reaction mechanism of natural immune systems. Main steps of the algorithm were given, including hyper-mutation, selection, memory, similarity suppression and recruitment of B cells and the convergence of it was proved. Results The algorithm has been tested to optimize various multi-modal functions, and the simulation results show that the artificial immune algorithm proposed here can find multiple extremum of these functions with lower computational cost. Conclusion The algorithm is valid and can converge on the satisfactory solution set D with probability 1 and approach to global solution and many local optimal solutions existed.