The Physarum optimization algorithm (POA) is a nature-inspired optimization algorithm based on the behavior of the slime mold Physarum polycephalum. POA is used to solve complex optimization problems by simulating the foraging behavior of slime mold.

Here is a brief description of the algorithm:

1. Initialize the algorithm with a network or graph representation of the problem to be solved, along with a set of initial parameters.

2. At each iteration, simulate the behavior of the slime mold by propagating a slime mold agent or a "plasmodium" along the network.

3. The plasmodium spreads out from the initial points and looks for food sources in the network. The food sources represent the solutions to the optimization problem.

4. The plasmodium selects the shortest path between two food sources. The path is determined by the amount of slime left behind by the plasmodium, which represents the strength of the connection between two nodes in the network.

5. The algorithm updates the network by adjusting the parameters, such as the amount of slime left behind by the plasmodium and the evaporation rate of the slime.

6. The algorithm repeats steps 2-5 until it converges to an optimal solution.

The POA algorithm has been shown to be effective in solving various optimization problems, such as network optimization, image segmentation, and path-finding.

I have written blog on this and you can look at the attached link to this repo to read in detail.