Genetic programming: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 08:35, 11 June 2003

Revision as of 15:03, 4 July 2003

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'''Genetic programming''' is a subfield of [[evolutionary computation]] introduced by [[John Koza]] in his 1992 book ''[[Genetic Programming: On the Programming of Computers by Means of Natural Selection]]''. It is a method used to allow a computer [[programming|programs]] to be evolved according to some user-defined goal. It uses [[evolution]]ary patterns, using [[crossover]], selection, replication and [[mutation|mutations]] to evolve the programs which are usually represented by [[Lisp programming language|LISP]] expressions. In order to work effectively requires an appropriate selection of operators and variables.

Genetic programming uses methods which are similar to [[genetic algorithm]]s, but is based on programs which perform tasks the results of which can then be evaluated to deliver a fitness function similar to GAs. Instead of using pools of parameter lists to be evaluated by some evaluation procedure, GP uses pools of programs which are to be run to perform the required task. A technical difference between GAs and GPs is that GAs use list structures, often fixed size, for the storage of their data, while GPs use tree structures which can vary in size and shape for each program used in the program pools.