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Introduction To Genetic Algorithms

 References
2

□ D. E. Goldberg, ‘Genetic Algorithm In Search,

Optimization And Machine Learning’, NewYork:
Addison – Wesley (1989)

□ John H. Holland ‘Genetic Algorithms’, Scientific

American Journal, July 1992.

□ Kalyanmoy Deb, ‘An Introduction To Genetic

Algorithms’, Sadhana, Vol. 24 Parts 4 And 5.
 Introduction to optimization
3

Global optima
Local optima

Local optima

Local optima
Local optima

X 7 November 2013
 Introduction to optimization
4

Multiple optimal solutions

 Genetic Algorithms
5

Genetic Algorithms are the heuristic search

and optimization techniques that mimic the
process of natural evolution.
 Principle Of Natural Selection
6

“Select The
Best, Discard
The Rest”
 An Example….
7

Giraffes have long necks

□ Giraffes with slightly longer necks could feed on
leaves of higher branches when all lower ones had
been eaten off.

□ They had a better chance of survival.

□ Favorable characteristic
propagated through generations
of giraffes.

□ Now, evolved species has long necks.

 An Example….
8

This longer necks may have due to the effect of mutation

initially. However as it was favorable, this was propagated over
the generations.
 Evolution of species
9

Initial Population of
animals

Struggle For Existence

Years
Millions Of

Survival Of the Fittest

Surviving Individuals Reproduce,

Propagate Favorable Characteristics

Evolved Species
10

Thus genetic algorithms implement

the optimization strategies by
simulating evolution of species
through natural selection
 Simple Genetic Algorithms
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Start

Initialize
population

Evaluate Solutions

T= 0 NO
Optimum
Solution?
Selection
YES
T=T+1 Stop Crossover

Mutation
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 Simple Genetic Algorithm
12

function sga ()
{
Initialize population;
Calculate fitness function;

While(fitness value != termination criteria)

{
Selection;
Crossover;
Mutation;
Calculate fitness function;
}
}
 Initial
Generation

Fitness

Next
Selection
Generation

Mutation Crossover
 Let us consider an example in which we need
to find the optimum solution of F(X1,X2) .

F(X1,X2) = X12 – X22 – 5.13

The unknown parameters are X1 and X2.

Solution Space of X1 and X2 Є [ 0, 15 ]
 Initial
Generation

Fitness

Next
Selection
Generation

Mutation Crossover
Initial Population

X1 X2

1001 1101

10011101

1 Complete Population
Initial Generation

1 1 0 1 1 0 1 0
0 1 1 1 1 0 1 1
1 1 1 0 1 0 1 0
0 0 0 1 1 0 1 0
0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1
1 1 0 1 1 0 0 0
1 0 1 0 1 0 1 1
1 1 1 0 0 0 1 0
1 0 1 0 0 0 1 0
0 1 1 1 1 0 1 1
 Initial
Generation

Fitness

Next
Selection
Generation

Mutation Crossover
Fitness Function

Fitness Function is an Objective Function which we

need to maximize .

In our example we have considered

Fitness Function = 1/abs(X12 – X22 – 5.13)

While Choosing An Appropriate Fitness
Function

define Fitness Function in such a way so that it increases

even with searching for minima or maxima.
 10011101

In the above string X1 is 9 and X2 is 13.

Therefore, the value of Fitness Function is 0.011.

In this way, the fitness values of all the populations

are calculated .
 GA Operators and Parameters
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□ Selection

□ Crossover

□ Mutation
 Selection
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The process that determines which solutions are

to be preserved and allowed to reproduce and
which ones deserve to die out.

The primary objective of the selection operator is

to emphasize the good solutions and eliminate
the bad solutions in a population while keeping
the population size constant.

“Selects the best, discards the rest”

 Functions of Selection operator
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Identify the good solutions in a population

Make multiple copies of the good solutions

Eliminate bad solutions from the population so that

multiple copies of good solutions can be placed in the
population

Now how to identify the good solutions?

 Fitness function
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A fitness value can be assigned to evaluate the solutions

A fitness function value quantifies the optimality of a solution.

The value is used to rank a particular solution against all the
other solutions

A fitness value is assigned to each solution depending on how

close it is actually to the optimal solution of the problem
 Assigning a fitness value
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Considering c = 0.0654

23 h

d
 Selection operator
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□ There are different techniques to implement

selection in Genetic Algorithms.

□ They are:

□ Tournament selection
□ Roulette wheel selection
□ Proportionate selection
□ Rank selection
□ Steady state selection, etc
 Tournament selection
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□ In tournament selection several tournaments are played

among a few individuals. The individuals are chosen at
random from the population.

□ The winner of each tournament is selected for next

generation.

□ Selection pressure can be adjusted by changing the

tournament size.
□ Weak individuals have a smaller chance to be selected if
tournament size is large.
 Tournament selection
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22 32 Selected
22 25
22 25
13 +30 25

32 22
32 40
32 22
25 13 +30
40 22
Best solution will have two copies
Worse solution will have no copies
7 +45 7 +45
Other solutions will have two, one
25 13 +30 or zero copies
25 13 +30
 Roulette wheel and proportionate
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selection
Chrom # Fitnes % of RW EC AC
s
Parents are selected 1 50 26.88172 1.612903 2
according to their 2 6 3.225806 0.193548 0
3 36 19.35484 1.16129 1
fitness values
4 30 16.12903 0.967742 1
5 36 19.35484 1.16129 1
The better 6 28 15.05376 0.903226 1
chromosomes have 186 100.00 6 6
more chances to be 6Roulet wheel
16% 1
21%
selected
2
3%
5
21%

3
21%
4 7N
18%
Selection
Before Selection After Selection

1 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 1 0
0 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1
1 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1
0 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1
0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1
1 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 0
1 0 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1
1 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1
1 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 0
0 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 0 1 0
Methods of Reproduction

Crossover

Mutation
 How to implement crossover
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The crossover operator is used to create new solutions from the existing solutions
available in the mating pool after applying selection operator.
This operator exchanges the gene information between the solutions in the
mating pool.

0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 0

Encoding of solution is necessary so that our

solutions look like a chromosome
Source: [Link]
 Crossover operator
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The most popular The selection A probability of crossover is

crossover selects any two point is also introduced in order to
solutions strings randomly selected give freedom to an individual
from the mating pool and randomly. solution string to determine
some portion of the strings whether the solution would go
is exchanged between the for crossover or not.
strings.

Solution 1

Solution 2

Child 1
Child 2
 Binary Crossover
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Source: Deb1999
 Mutation operator
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Mutation is the occasional introduction of new features in to the

solution strings of the population pool to maintain diversity in the
population.
Though crossover has the main responsibility to search for the
optimal solution, mutation is also used for this purpose.

Before mutation After mutation

 Binary Mutation
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□ Mutation operator changes a 1 to 0 or vise versa, with a mutation

probability of .
□ The mutation probability is generally kept low for steady convergence.
□ A high value of mutation probability would search here and there like a
random search technique.

Source: Deb1999
Elitism
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□ Crossover and mutation may destroy the best

solution of the population pool

□ Elitism is the preservation of few best

solutions of the population pool

□ Elitism is defined in percentage or in number

 Nature to Computer Mapping
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Nature Computer
Population Set of solutions
Individual Solution to a problem
Fitness Quality of a solution
Chromosome Encoding for a solution
Gene Part of the encoding solution