Abstract. A general model for the coevolution of cooperating species is presented. This model is instantiated and tested in the domain of function optimization, and compared with a traditional GA-based function optimizer. The results are encouraging in two respects. They suggest ways in which the performance of GA and other EA-based optimizers can be improved, and they suggest a new approach to evolving complex structures such as neural networks and rule sets.
To successfully apply evolutionary algorithms to the solution of increasingly complex problems, we must develop effective techniques for evolving solutions in the form of interacting coadapted subcomponents. One of the major difficulties is finding computational extensions to our current evolutionary paradigms that will enable such subcomponents to “emerge” rather than being hand designed. In this paper, we describe an architecture for evolving such subcomponents as a collection of cooperating species. Given a simple string- matching task, we show that evolutionary pressure to increase the overall fitness of the ecosystem can provide the needed stimulus for the emergence of an appropriate number of interdependent subcomponents that cover multiple niches, evolve to an appropriate level of generality, and adapt as the number and roles of their fellow subcomponents change over time. We then explore these issues within the context of a more complicated domain through a case study involving the evolution of artificial neural networks.
Abstract. We present a novel approach to concept learning in which a coevolutionary genetic algorithm is applied to the construction of an immune system whose antibodies can discriminate between examples and counter-examples of a given concept. This approach is more general than traditional symbolic approaches to concept learning and can be applied in situations where preclassified training examples are not necessarily available. An experimental study is described in which a coevolutionary immune system adapts itself to one of the standard machine learning data sets. The resulting immune system concept description and a description produced by a traditional symbolic concept learner are compared and contrasted.
Abstract. In this paper we show how tools based on extensions of Price's equation allow us to look inside production-level EAs to see how selection, representation, and reproductive operators interact with each other, and how these interactions affect EA performance. With such tools it is possible to understand at a deeper level how existing EAs work as well as provide support for making better design decisions involving new EC applications.
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