Stochastic Tabu Search — Randomized Metaheuristic with Memory

Stochastic Tabu Search (STS) is an extension of classical Tabu Search that introduces randomness into the neighborhood exploration and move-selection phases. By combining tabu memory — which forbids recently visited solutions — with probabilistic acceptance or random candidate sampling, STS escapes local optima more effectively and explores rugged solution landscapes that deterministic TS may fail to traverse.