Evolution of Appropriate Crossover and Mutation Operators in a Genetic Process

Traditional genetic algorithms use only one crossover and one mutation operator to generate the next generation. The chosen crossover and mutation operators are critical to the success of genetic algorithms. Different crossover or mutation operators, however, are suitable for different problems, even for different stages of the genetic process in a problem. Determining which crossover and mutation operators should be used is quite difficult and is usually done by trial-and-error. In this paper, a new genetic algorithm, the dynamic genetic algorithm (DGA), is proposed to solve the problem. The dynamic genetic algorithm simultaneously uses more than one crossover and mutation operators to generate the next generation. The crossover and mutation ratios change along with the evaluation results of the respective offspring in the next generation. By this way, we expect that the really good operators will have an increasing effect in the genetic process. Experiments are also made, with results showing the proposed algorithm performs better than the algorithms with a single crossover and a single mutation operator.     

Performance evaluation of evolutionary multiobjective optimization algorithms for multiobjective fuzzy genetics-based machine learning

Recently, evolutionary multiobjective optimization (EMO) algorithms have been utilized for the design of accurate and interpretable fuzzy rule-based systems. This research area is often referred to as multiobjective genetic fuzzy systems (MoGFS), where EMO algorithms are used to search for non-dominated fuzzy rule-based systems with respect to their accuracy and interpretability. In this paper, we examine the ability of EMO algorithms to efficiently search for Pareto optimal or near Pareto optimal fuzzy rule-based systems for classification problems. We use NSGA-II (elitist non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm), its variants, and MOEA/D (multiobjective evolutionary algorithm based on decomposition) in our multiobjective fuzzy genetics-based machine learning (MoFGBML) algorithm. Classification performance of obtained fuzzy rule-based systems by each EMO algorithm is evaluated for training data and test data under various settings of the available computation load and the granularity of fuzzy partitions. Experimental results in this paper suggest that reported classification performance of MoGFS in the literature can be further improved using more computation load, more efficient EMO algorithms, and/or more antecedent fuzzy sets from finer fuzzy partitions.     

Dynamic and heuristic fuzzy connectives-based crossover operators for controlling the diversity and convergence of real-coded genetic algorithms

Genetic algorithms are adaptive methods which may be used as approximation heuristic for search and optimization problems. Genetic algorithms process a population of search space solutions with three operations: selection, crossover, and mutation. A great problem in the use of genetic algorithms is the premature convergence, a premature stagnation of the search caused by the lack of diversity in the population and a disproportionate relationship between exploitation and exploration. The crossover operator is considered one of the most determinant elements for solving this problem. In this article we present two types of crossover operators based on fuzzy connectives for real-coded genetic algorithms. The first type is designed to keep a suitable sequence between the exploration and the exploitation along the genetic algorithm's run, the dynamic fuzzy connectives-based crossover operators, the second, for generating offspring near to the best parents in order to offer diversity or convergence in a profitable way, the heuristic fuzzy connectives-based crossover operators. We combine both crossover operators for designing dynamic heuristic fuzzy connectives-based crossover operators that show a robust behavior. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Balance between genetic search and local search in memetic algorithms for multiobjective permutation flowshop scheduling

This paper shows how the performance of evolutionary multiobjective optimization (EMO) algorithms can be improved by hybridization with local search. The main positive effect of the hybridization is the improvement in the convergence speed to the Pareto front. On the other hand, the main negative effect is the increase in the computation time per generation. Thus, the number of generations is decreased when the available computation time is limited. As a result, the global search ability of EMO algorithms is not fully utilized. These positive and negative effects are examined by computational experiments on multiobjective permutation flowshop scheduling problems. Results of our computational experiments clearly show the importance of striking a balance between genetic search and local search. In this paper, we first modify our former multiobjective genetic local search (MOGLS) algorithm by choosing only good individuals as initial solutions for local search and assigning an appropriate local search direction to each initial solution. Next, we demonstrate the importance of striking a balance between genetic search and local search through computational experiments. Then we compare the modified MOGLS with recently developed EMO algorithms: the strength Pareto evolutionary algorithm and revised nondominated sorting genetic algorithm. Finally, we demonstrate that a local search can be easily combined with those EMO algorithms for designing multiobjective memetic algorithms.     

Hybrid crossover operators for real-coded genetic algorithms: an experimental study

Most real-coded genetic algorithm research has focused on developing effective crossover operators, and as a result, many different types have been proposed. Some forms of crossover operators are more suitable to tackle certain problems than others, even at the different stages of the genetic process in the same problem. For this reason, techniques which combine multiple crossovers have been suggested as alternative schemes to the common practice of applying only one crossover model to all the elements in the population. Therefore, the study of the synergy produced by combining the different styles of the traversal of solution space associated with the different crossover operators is an important one. The aim is to investigate whether or not the combination of crossovers perform better than the best single crossover amongst them. In this paper we have undertaken an extensive study in which we have examined the synergetic effects among real-parameter crossover operators with different search biases. This has been done by means of hybrid real-parameter crossover operators, which generate two offspring for every pair of parents, each one with a different crossover operator. Experimental results show that synergy is possible among real-parameter crossover operators, and in addition, that it is responsible for improving performance with respect to the use of a single crossover operator.     

A computationally efficient evolutionary algorithm for real-parameter optimization

Due to increasing interest in solving real-world optimization problems using evolutionary algorithms (EAs), researchers have recently developed a number of real-parameter genetic algorithms (GAs). In these studies, the main research effort is spent on developing an efficient recombination operator. Such recombination operators use probability distributions around the parent solutions to create an offspring. Some operators emphasize solutions at the center of mass of parents and some around the parents. In this paper, we propose a generic parent-centric recombination operator (PCX) and a steady-state, elite-preserving, scalable, and computationally fast population-alteration model (we call the G3 model). The performance of the G3 model with the PCX operator is investigated on three commonly used test problems and is compared with a number of evolutionary and classical optimization algorithms including other real-parameter GAs with the unimodal normal distribution crossover (UNDX) and the simplex crossover (SPX) operators, the correlated self-adaptive evolution strategy, the covariance matrix adaptation evolution strategy (CMA-ES), the differential evolution technique, and the quasi-Newton method. The proposed approach is found to consistently and reliably perform better than all other methods used in the study. A scale-up study with problem sizes up to 500 variables shows a polynomial computational complexity of the proposed approach. This extensive study clearly demonstrates the power of the proposed technique in tackling real-parameter optimization problems.     

A taxonomy for the crossover operator for real‐coded genetic algorithms: An experimental study

The main real‐coded genetic algorithm (RCGA) research effort has been spent on developing efficient crossover operators. This study presents a taxonomy for this operator that groups its instances in different categories according to the way they generate the genes of the offspring from the genes of the parents. The empirical study of representative crossovers of all the categories reveals concrete features that allow the crossover operator to have a positive influence on RCGA performance. They may be useful to design more effective crossover models. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

A study on synergy of multiple crossover operators in a hierarchical genetic algorithm applied to structural optimisation

Development of crossover operators is based on three different mechanisms: mating selection mechanism, offspring generation mechanism and offspring selection mechanism. Most crossover operators are able to get exploration or exploitation of the domain depending on the way they handle the current diversity of the population. Each crossover operator directs the search towards a different region in the neighbourhood of the parents. The quality of the elements belonging to the visited region depends on the particular problem to be solved. This is confirmed by the well known No Free Lunch (NFL) theorems. The simultaneous use of diverse crossover operators on the population may induce more efficient algorithms. The aim of this paper is to analyse and to study complementary properties resulting from synergy effects using several crossover operators in particular for a hierarchical genetic algorithm. The reached improvements using multiple crossover operators will be analysed through some standard optimisation examples of hybrid composite structures.     

一种基于正态分布交叉的ε-MOEA

实数编码的多目标进化算法常使用模拟二进制交叉(simulated binary crossover,简称SBX)算子.通过对SBX以及进化策略中变异算子进行对比分析,并引入进化策略中的离散重组算子,提出了一种正态分布交叉(normal distribution crossover,简称NDX)算子.首先在一维搜索空间实例中对NDX与SBX算子进行比较和分析,然后将NDX算子应用于Deb等人提出的稳态多目标进化算法ε-MOEA(ε-dominance based multiobjective evolutionary algorithm)中.采用NDX算子的ε-MOEA(记为ε-MOEA/NDX)算法在多目标优化标准测试集ZDT和DTLZ的10个函数上进行了实验比较.实验结果和分析表明,采用NDX的?-MOEA所求得的Pareto最优解集质量明显优于经典算法ε-MOEA/SBX和NSGA-II.     

基于跳跃基因算子的改进实数遗传算法

为了避免遗传算法在求解数值优化问题时出现搜索能力差、多样性缺失等弊端,提出一种基于实数编码的改进遗传算法(IRCGA).算法集成两个特别设计的算子:模拟二进制跳跃基因算子(SBJG)和多方向交叉算子(MX).SBJG算子以染色体为操作对象,本质上模拟了二进制跳跃基因操作中的插入运动,即利用一种随机的方式将选定的染色体块插入到染色体位点,实现种群内部染色体间的转位,为种群提供额外的遗传多样性;MX算子通过增加交叉方向的方式扩大算子的搜索区域,从而提升后代个体质量与算法的搜索能力.在11个实例的基础上进行对比实验,结果表明,采用改进算子能够明显提升算法在求解数值优化问题时的性能,同时,相比于其他先进有效的算法,IRCGA具有较强的搜索能力且能够维持一定的种群多样性,从而验证了改进算法的有效性和可行性.     

Optimisation With Real-Coded Genetic Algorithms Based On Mathematical Morphology

The goal of this work is to propose a novel approach to function optimisation by evolutionary techniques, in particular, real-coded genetic algorithms. A new genetic crossover operator, suitable for real codification, has been designed. This operator is called morphological crossover as it is based on mathematical morphology theory. The morphological crossover includes a new genetic diversity measure that has low computational cost. This operator is presented along with the resolution of a set of optimisation problems, including neural network training. The results are compared to other optimisation approaches as gradient descent methods or binary and real-coded genetic algorithms using different crossover operators. These tests show that the properties exhibited by the proposed operator when using real-coded genetic algorithms give higher convergence speed and less probability of being trapped in a local optimum.     

Bolstering efficient SSGAs based on an ensemble of probabilistic variable-wise crossover strategies

A crossover operator in genetic algorithms (GAs) plays an essential role as the main search operator to breed offspring by exchanging information between individuals. Although different types of crossover operators have been developed for real-coded GAs (RCGAs), there has been very little research on combining different crossover operators to build more effective and efficient RCGAs. In this work, we propose new steady-state generation alternation-based RCGAs (SSGAs) ameliorated with (i) an ensemble of different probabilistic variable-wise crossover strategies, which is realized by the corresponding parallel populations, to utilize synergetic and complementary effect with their efficient operations, and (ii) efficient operation at each evolution step to obtain further performance enhancement. To investigate the performance of this ensemble with respect to search abilities and computation time, we compare the proposed algorithms against various SSGAs when running 27 benchmark functions. Empirical studies showed that the proposed algorithms exhibit better performance than the contestant SSGAs on these functions. Moreover, a comparison with the state-of-the-art evolutionary algorithms on eight difficult benchmark functions clearly demonstrated outperformance of the proposed algorithms.     

The two-stage recombination operator and its application to the multiobjective 0/1 knapsack problem: A comparative study

In this paper, we first propose a new recombination operator called the two-stage recombination and then we test its performance in the context of the multiobjective 0/1 knapsack problem (MOKP). The proposed recombination operator generates only one offspring solution from a selected pair of parents according to the following two stages. In the first stage, called genetic shared-information stage or similarity-preserving stage, the generated offspring inherits all parent similar genes (i.e., genes or decision variables having the same positions and the same values in both parents). In the second stage, called problem fitness-information stage, the parent non-similar genes (i.e., genes or decision variables having the same positions but different values regarding the two parents) are selected from one of the two parents using some fitness information. Initially, we propose two different approaches for the second stage: the general version and the restricted version. However, the application of the restricted version to the MOKP leads to an improved version which is more specific to this problem. The general and the MOKP-specific versions of the two-stage recombination are compared against three traditional crossovers using two well-known multiobjective evolutionary algorithms. Promising results are obtained. We also provide a comparison between the general version and the MOKP-specific version.     

复杂网络社区挖掘——-基于聚类融合的遗传算法

针对当前研究复杂网络社区挖掘的热点问题, 提出了一种基于聚类融合的遗传算法用于复杂网络社区挖掘. 该算法将聚类融合引入到交叉算子中, 利用父个体的聚类信息辅以网络拓扑结构的局部信息产生新个体, 避免了传统交叉算子单纯交换字符块而忽略了聚类内容所带来的问题. 为使聚类融合的作用得以充分发挥, 本文提出了基于马尔科夫随机游走的初始群体生成算法, 使初始群体中的个体具有一定聚类精度并有较强的多样性. 初始群体生成算法与基于聚类融合的交叉算子互相配合, 有效地增强了算法的寻优能力. 此外, 算法将局部搜索机制用于变异算子, 通过迫使变异节点与其多数邻居在同一社区内, 有针对性地缩小了搜索空间, 从而加快了算法收敛速度. 在计算机生成网络和真实世界网络上进行了测试, 并与当前具有代表性的社区挖掘算法进行比较, 实验结果表明了该算法的可行性和有效性.     

Automated global structure extraction for effective local building block processing in XCS

Learning Classifier Systems (LCSs), such as the accuracy-based XCS, evolve distributed problem solutions represented by a population of rules. During evolution, features are specialized, propagated, and recombined to provide increasingly accurate subsolutions. Recently, it was shown that, as in conventional genetic algorithms (GAs), some problems require efficient processing of subsets of features to find problem solutions efficiently. In such problems, standard variation operators of genetic and evolutionary algorithms used in LCSs suffer from potential disruption of groups of interacting features, resulting in poor performance. This paper introduces efficient crossover operators to XCS by incorporating techniques derived from competent GAs: the extended compact GA (ECGA) and the Bayesian optimization algorithm (BOA). Instead of simple crossover operators such as uniform crossover or one-point crossover, ECGA or BOA-derived mechanisms are used to build a probabilistic model of the global population and to generate offspring classifiers locally using the model. Several offspring generation variations are introduced and evaluated. The results show that it is possible to achieve performance similar to runs with an informed crossover operator that is specifically designed to yield ideal problem-dependent exploration, exploiting provided problem structure information. Thus, we create the first competent LCSs, XCS/ECGA and XCS/BOA, that detect dependency structures online and propagate corresponding lower-level dependency structures effectively without any information about these structures given in advance.     

交叉算子的极限一致性

交叉算子是遗传算法的主要操作算子之一，它使遗传算法具有了其它传统方法所没有的特性，并于它的理论研究对深入理解遗传算法具有重要意义，该文对遗传算法中常用的交叉算子（一点交叉算子、两点交叉算子、多点交叉算子和一致交叉算子）的性质进行了分析，综合考虑了交叉算子色全的双重作用，给了染色体在各种交叉算子作用下的变化规律，并得到了模式变化的极限性能，证明了这些交叉算子的极限一致性，即这些交叉算子在演化代数趋于无穷时对染色体的作用结果是一致的，同时对各自不同的收敛特点进行了分析，这些分析结果不仅UMDA等算法提供了一定的理论依据。也为今后的研究工作提供了基础。     

Coalition formation mechanism in multi-agent systems based on genetic algorithms

As an important coordination and cooperation mechanism in multi-agent systems, coalition of agents exhibits some excellent characteristics and draws researchers’ attention increasingly. Cooperation formation has been a very active area of research in multi-agent systems. An efficient algorithm is needed for this topic since the numbers of the possible coalitions are exponential in the number of agents. Genetic algorithm (GA) has been widely reckoned as a useful tool for obtaining high quality and optimal solutions for a broad range of combinatorial optimization problems due to its intelligent advantages of self-organization, self-adaptation and inherent parallelism. This paper proposes a GA-based algorithm for coalition structure formation which aims at achieving goals of high performance, scalability, and fast convergence rate simultaneously. A novel 2D binary chromosome encoding approach and corresponding crossover and mutation operators are presented in this paper. Two valid parental chromosomes are certain to produce a valid offspring under the operation of the crossover operator. This improves the efficiency and shortens the running time greatly. The proposed algorithm is evaluated through a robust comparison with heuristic search algorithms. We have confirmed that our new algorithm is robust, self-adaptive and very efficient by experiments. The results of the proposed algorithm are found to be satisfactory.     

Genetic algorithms to solve the cover printing problem

Inspired by successful application of evolutionary algorithms to solving difficult optimization problems, we explore in this paper, the applicability of genetic algorithms (GAs) to the cover printing problem, which consists in the grouping of book covers on offset plates in order to minimize the total production cost. We combine GAs with a linear programming solver and we propose some innovative features such as the “unfixed two-point crossover operator” and the “binary stochastic sampling with replacement” for selection. Two approaches are proposed: an adapted genetic algorithm and a multiobjective genetic algorithm using the Pareto fitness genetic algorithm. The resulting solutions are compared. Some computational experiments have also been done to analyze the effects of different genetic operators on both algorithms.     

An Evolutionary Algorithm for Global Optimization Based on Level-Set Evolution and Latin Squares

In this paper, the level-set evolution is exploited in the design of a novel evolutionary algorithm (EA) for global optimization. An application of Latin squares leads to a new and effective crossover operator. This crossover operator can generate a set of uniformly scattered offspring around their parents, has the ability to search locally, and can explore the search space efficiently. To compute a globally optimal solution, the level set of the objective function is successively evolved by crossover and mutation operators so that it gradually approaches the globally optimal solution set. As a result, the level set can be efficiently improved. Based on these skills, a new EA is developed to solve a global optimization problem by successively evolving the level set of the objective function such that it becomes smaller and smaller until all of its points are optimal solutions. Furthermore, we can prove that the proposed algorithm converges to a global optimizer with probability one. Numerical simulations are conducted for 20 standard test functions. The performance of the proposed algorithm is compared with that of eight EAs that have been published recently and the Monte Carlo implementation of the mean-value-level-set method. The results indicate that the proposed algorithm is effective and efficient.     

Dynamic multiobjective optimization problems: test cases, approximations, and applications

After demonstrating adequately the usefulness of evolutionary multiobjective optimization (EMO) algorithms in finding multiple Pareto-optimal solutions for static multiobjective optimization problems, there is now a growing need for solving dynamic multiobjective optimization problems in a similar manner. In this paper, we focus on addressing this issue by developing a number of test problems and by suggesting a baseline algorithm. Since in a dynamic multiobjective optimization problem, the resulting Pareto-optimal set is expected to change with time (or, iteration of the optimization process), a suite of five test problems offering different patterns of such changes and different difficulties in tracking the dynamic Pareto-optimal front by a multiobjective optimization algorithm is presented. Moreover, a simple example of a dynamic multiobjective optimization problem arising from a dynamic control loop is presented. An extension to a previously proposed direction-based search method is proposed for solving such problems and tested on the proposed test problems. The test problems introduced in this paper should encourage researchers interested in multiobjective optimization and dynamic optimization problems to develop more efficient algorithms in the near future.