Algorithm of the Gods

The Algorithm of the Gods is a simulation of the metallurgical annealing process.  The Amateur Scientist section in the March 1997 issue of Scientific American discussed use of the algorithm for generating a "pretty good" solution to a traveling salesman type of problem.  I downloaded the C code from the algorithm directory (since removed) at the Society of Amateur Scientists web site and ran it without a hitch on my machine.  It took approximately 17 seconds to process the input list.  I then re-wrote it in C++ and optimized the code so that it takes about 6 seconds to process the input list.  I then set it up so that it would re-melt the current solution and re-run the process continuously.  The list shown below represents the best solution collected after 24 hours of processing.
C++ Code for The Algorithm of the Gods
Verification C++ Code (independently calculates the energy in a list of points)
My Best Solution (Energy = 1068.024536)
I was able to hand tweek this list and slightly lower the total energy down to about 1066.  The line plot below shows the path from start to finish.  The areas for minor tweeks are fairly obvious.
Line Plot of This solution  (GIF ~50K) (Bottom is X axis or left hand member of point pair)
The original website article contained further details on the algorithm and had an Amendments section which mentioned a contributed list with a lowest energy solution.  I checked the sorted points on that list against the original and found that they do not match so the resultant energy is somewhat meaningless.  The text of the original Scientific American article is still available here.

I am curious about the use of this algorithm in real time systems.  If you have any comments, please contact me.  I'd also like to thank Shawn Carlson for his good work at Scientific American and for placing his code in the public domain.