Genetic Algorithms: A Tutorial

Genetic Algorithms are good at taking large, potentially huge search spaces and navigating them, looking for optimal combinations of things, solutions you might not otherwise find in a lifetime.
- Salvatore Mangano Computer Design, May 1995

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Genetic Algorithms: A Tutorial

The Genetic Algorithm

Directed search algorithms based on the mechanics of biological evolution Developed by John Holland, University of Michigan (1970s)

To understand the adaptive processes of natural systems To design artificial systems software that retains the robustness of natural systems
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Genetic Algorithms: A Tutorial

The Genetic Algorithm (cont.)

Provide efficient, effective techniques for optimization and machine learning applications Widely-used today in business, scientific and engineering circles

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Genetic Algorithms: A Tutorial

Classes of Search Techniques

Search techniques
Calculus-based techniques Direct methods Indirect methods Guided random search techniques Evolutionary algorithms Simulated annealing Enumerative techniques Dynamic programming

Finonacci

Newton

Evolutionary strategies

Genetic algorithms

Parallel
Centralized Distributed

Sequential
Steady-state Generational

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Genetic Algorithms: A Tutorial

Components of a GA
A problem to solve, and ... Encoding technique (gene, chromosome) Initialization procedure (creation) Evaluation function (environment) Selection of parents (reproduction) Genetic operators (mutation, recombination) Parameter settings (practice and art)
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Simple Genetic Algorithm

{

initialize population; evaluate population; while TerminationCriteriaNotSatisfied

{

select parents for reproduction; perform recombination and mutation; evaluate population;
}
}
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The GA Cycle of Reproduction

reproduction
parents children

modification
modified children

population
deleted members

evaluation
evaluated children

discard
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Population
population Chromosomes could be:

Bit strings Real numbers Permutations of element Lists of rules Program elements ... any data structure ...

(0101 ... 1100) (43.2 -33.1 ... 0.0 89.2) (E11 E3 E7 ... E1 E15) (R1 R2 R3 ... R22 R23) (genetic programming)

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Genetic Algorithms: A Tutorial

Reproduction
reproduction
parents children

population

Parents are selected at random with selection chances biased in relation to chromosome evaluations.
Wendy Williams Metaheuristic Algorithms 9 Genetic Algorithms: A Tutorial

Chromosome Modification
children

modification
modified children

Modifications are stochastically triggered Operator types are: Mutation Crossover (recombination)
10 Genetic Algorithms: A Tutorial

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Mutation: Local Modification

Before: After: Before: After:

(1 0 1 1 0 1 1 0) (0 1 1 0 0 1 1 0) (1.38 -69.4 326.44 0.1) (1.38 -67.5 326.44 0.1)

Causes movement in the search space (local or global) Restores lost information to the population
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Crossover: Recombination
P1 P2

(0 1 1 0 1 0 0 0) (1 1 0 1 1 0 1 0)

(0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0) (1 1 1 1 1 0 1 0)

C1 C2

Crossover is a critical feature of genetic algorithms: It greatly accelerates search early in evolution of a population It leads to effective combination of schemata (subsolutions on different chromosomes)
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Evaluation
evaluated children modified children

evaluation

The evaluator decodes a chromosome and assigns it a fitness measure The evaluator is the only link between a classical GA and the problem it is solving
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Deletion
population
discarded members

discard

Generational GA: entire populations replaced with each iteration Steady-state GA: a few members replaced each generation
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An Abstract Example

Distribution of Individuals in Generation 0

Distribution of Individuals in Generation N

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A Simple Example

The Gene is by far the most sophisticated program around.

- Bill Gates, Business Week, June 27, 1994

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Genetic Algorithms: A Tutorial

A Simple Example
The Traveling Salesman Problem:
Find a tour of a given set of cities so that

each city is visited only once the total distance traveled is minimized

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Genetic Algorithms: A Tutorial

Representation
Representation is an ordered list of city numbers known as an order-based GA.
1) London 2) Venice 3) Dunedin 4) Singapore 5) Beijing 7) Tokyo 6) Phoenix 8) Victoria

CityList1

(3 5 7 2 1 6 4 8)

CityList2

(2 5 7 6 8 1 3 4)
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Crossover
Crossover combines inversion and recombination: * * Parent1 (3 5 7 2 1 6 4 8) Parent2 (2 5 7 6 8 1 3 4)
Child

(5 8 7 2 1 6 3 4)

This operator is called the Order1 crossover.

Wendy Williams Metaheuristic Algorithms 19 Genetic Algorithms: A Tutorial

Mutation
Mutation involves reordering of the list:
* * (5 8 7 2 1 6 3 4) (5 8 6 2 1 7 3 4)

Before: After:

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Genetic Algorithms: A Tutorial

TSP Example: 30 Cities

100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 0 10 20 30 40 50 x 60 70 80 90 100
y

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Genetic Algorithms: A Tutorial

Solution i (Distance = 941)

TSP30 (Performance = 941)
100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 0 10 20 30 40 50 x 60 70 80 90 100

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Genetic Algorithms: A Tutorial

Solution j(Distance = 800)

TSP30 (Performance = 800)
100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 0 10 20 30 40 50 x 60 70 80 90 100
y

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Genetic Algorithms: A Tutorial

Solution k(Distance = 652)

TSP30 (Performance = 652)
100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 0 10 20 30 40 50 x 60 70 80 90 100

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Genetic Algorithms: A Tutorial

Best Solution (Distance = 420)

TSP30 Solution (Performance = 420)
100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 0 10 20 30 40 50 x 60 70 80 90 100
y

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Genetic Algorithms: A Tutorial

Overview of Performance
TSP30 - Overview of Performance
1600 1400 1200

Distance

1000 800 600 400 200 0 1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 Generations (1000) Best Worst Average

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Genetic Algorithms: A Tutorial

Considering the GA Technology

Almost eight years ago ... people at Microsoft wrote a program [that] uses some genetic things for finding short code sequences. Windows 2.0 and 3.2, NT, and almost all Microsoft applications products have shipped with pieces of code created by that system.
- Nathan Myhrvold, Microsoft Advanced Technology Group, Wired, September 1995 Wendy Williams Metaheuristic Algorithms 27 Genetic Algorithms: A Tutorial

Issues for GA Practitioners

Choosing basic implementation issues:

representation population size, mutation rate, ... selection, deletion policies crossover, mutation operators

Termination Criteria Performance, scalability Solution is only as good as the evaluation function (often hardest part)
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Benefits of Genetic Algorithms

Concept is easy to understand Modular, separate from application Supports multi-objective optimization Good for noisy environments Always an answer; answer gets better with time Inherently parallel; easily distributed
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Benefits of Genetic Algorithms (cont.)

Many ways to speed up and improve a GA-based application as knowledge about problem domain is gained Easy to exploit previous or alternate solutions Flexible building blocks for hybrid applications Substantial history and range of use
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When to Use a GA

Alternate solutions are too slow or overly complicated Need an exploratory tool to examine new approaches Problem is similar to one that has already been successfully solved by using a GA Want to hybridize with an existing solution Benefits of the GA technology meet key problem requirements

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Genetic Algorithms: A Tutorial

Some GA Application Types

Domain
Control Design Scheduling Robotics Machine Learning Signal Processing Game Playing Combinatorial Optimization
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Application Types
gas pipeline, pole balancing, missile evasion, pursuit semiconductor layout, aircraft design, keyboard configuration, communication networks manufacturing, facility scheduling, resource allocation trajectory planning designing neural networks, improving classification algorithms, classifier systems filter design poker, checkers, prisoners dilemma set covering, travelling salesman, routing, bin packing, graph colouring and partitioning
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Genetic Algorithms: A Tutorial

Conclusions

Question: Answer:

If GAs are so smart, why aint they rich? Genetic algorithms are rich - rich in application across a large and growing number of disciplines.
- David E. Goldberg, Genetic Algorithms in Search, Optimization and Machine Learning

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Genetic Algorithms: A Tutorial