Behshad Jodeiri - Department of Mining Engineering, Hamedan University of Technology (HUT), Hamedan, Iran
Hesam Dehghani - Department of Mining Engineering, Hamedan University of Technology (HUT), Hamedan, Iran
Mohammadreza Sadeghi - Department of Mining Engineering, Hamedan University of Technology (HUT), Hamedan, Iran

In this paper, the flashlight (FL) algorithm, which is categorized as a heuristic method, has been suggested to determine the ultimate pit limit (UPL). In order to apply the suggested algorithm and other common algorithms, such as the dynamic programming, the Korobov, and the floating cone, and to validate the capability of the proposed method, the ultimate pit limit was determined in a cross-section of the Korkora reserve, which is located in Kurdistan province, northwestern of Iran and consists of ۳۰۸۰ blocks. The comparison of the FL algorithm and other methods revealed that same as high accuracy dynamic programming methods, the proposed algorithm could find the optimum value, while the Korobov and the floating cone algorithms failed to determine the optimum limit.

Heuristic algorithm, Ultimate pit limit, Optimization, Flashlight algorithm