Abstract: To improve the accuracy and speed of fault section location in low-voltage distribution networks, existing algorithms face issues such as a tendency to fall into local optima, insufficient exploration capabilities, and low accuracy, which limit their ability to locate faults. Additionally, in low-voltage distribution networks, the operating environment for distribution terminals is relatively harsh, which may lead to underreporting or misreporting of information. Therefore, this paper proposes a method for fault section location based on an improved arithmetic optimization algorithm. The IEEE 33-node distribution network model is selected, and Matlab is used to program and simulate the model's node branches, node switch states, and fitness functions. Simulation calculations are performed for single-point faults, multiple-point faults, and faults with signal distortions, and the simulation results are analyzed. The results show that by leveraging the characteristic of the improved arithmetic optimization algorithm, which separates local search and global search, a thorough local search can be conducted for the fault section location problem, achieving accurate positioning.