Month: September 2007

The Need for a Sound Theory of Adaptation for the Simple Genetic Algorithm

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The conclusion of a manuscript that I recently submitted for review

The biosphere is replete with organisms that are exquisitely well adapted to the environmental niches they inhabit. Natural sexual evolution has been crucial to the generation of what are arguably the most highly adapted of these organisms — cheetahs, owls, humans etc. A deeply intriguing idea is that we can build adaptation algorithms which, at an abstract level, mimic the behavior of natural sexual evolution, and in doing so, “harness” something of the adaptive power of this incredibly effective process. But what is the abstract level at which natural sexual evolution should be mimicked? In other words Continue reading “The Need for a Sound Theory of Adaptation for the Simple Genetic Algorithm” →

The Need for a Sound Theory of Adaptation for the Simple Genetic Algorithm

The Dubious History of the Building Block Hypothesis

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From the introduction of a manuscript that I recently submitted for review

Perceptions of the abilities and limitations of the SGA (and hence the kinds of problems that it can and cannot solve) have been heavily influenced by a theory of adaptation called the building block hypothesis (Goldberg, 1989; Mitchell, 1996; Holland, 1975, 2000). This theory of adaptation has its genesis in the following idea: maybe small groups of closely located co-adaptive alleles propagate within an evolving population of genomes in much the same way that single adaptive alleles do in Fisher’s theories of sexual evolution (Fisher, 1958). Holland called such groups of alleles building blocks. This idea can be taken one step further: maybe small groups of co-adaptive building blocks propagate within an evolving population of genomes in much the same way that single building blocks do. Such groups can be thought of as higher-level building blocks. Pursuing this idea to the fullest extent, maybe Continue reading “The Dubious History of the Building Block Hypothesis” →

The Dubious History of the Building Block Hypothesis

Optimization, Adaptation, Machine Learning and Evolutionary Computation

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From the introduction of a manuscript that I recently submitted for review

The practice of Machine Learning research can be characterized as the effective semiprincipled reduction of learning problems to problems for which robust and efficient solution techniques exist – ideally ones with provable bounds on their use of time and space. In a recent paper Bennett and Parrado-Hern´andez (2006) describe the synergistic relationship between the fields of machine learning (ML) and mathematical programming (MP). They remark:

“Optimization lies at the heart of machine learning. Most machine learning problems reduce to optimization problems. Consider the machine learning analyst in action solving a problem for some set of data. The modeler formulates the problem by selecting an appropriate family of models and massages the data into a format amenable to modeling. Then the model is typically trained by solving a core optimization problem that Continue reading “Optimization, Adaptation, Machine Learning and Evolutionary Computation” →

Optimization, Adaptation, Machine Learning and Evolutionary Computation

Critique of the Compositional Paradigm

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Adaptation in selecto-recombinative genetic systems is widely believed to occur by the recombination of pre-adapted genetic material. This belief is at the core of the paradigm under which most GA and all EDA research currently occurs. It underlies the construction of several new varieties of genetic algorithms that purportedly work by combining pre-adapted genetic material in some sophisticated way (e.g. cohort GAs, messy GAs, LLGA, ECGA, BOA, hBOA, etc.).

In this paradigm, each post-selection population is thought to harbor “good” genetic material. Recombination operators, and estimation of distribution procedures, are thought drive adaptation by composing this material to produce good or better individuals in the next generation.When adaptation stalls it is thought to be because “good” genetic material is unavailable, or because recombination of this material was not performed effectively.

Let us call this general set of beliefs the Compositional Paradigm. This paradigm draws its support from Holland’s Building Block Hypothesis. Its widespread acceptance in the GA community signals Continue reading “Critique of the Compositional Paradigm” →

Critique of the Compositional Paradigm