Genetic Algorithms for Machine Learning

About this book

The articles presented here were selected from preliminary versions presented at the International Conference on Genetic Algorithms in June 1991, as well as at a special Workshop on Genetic Algorithms for Machine Learning at the same Conference. Genetic algorithms are general-purpose search algorithms that use principles inspired by natural population genetics to evolve solutions to problems. The basic idea is to maintain a population of knowledge structure that represent candidate solutions to the problem of interest. The population evolves over time through a process of competition (i.e. survival of the fittest) and controlled variation (i.e. recombination and mutation). Genetic Algorithms for Machine Learning contains articles on three topics that have not been the focus of many previous articles on GAs, namely concept learning from examples, reinforcement learning for control, and theoretical analysis of GAs. It is hoped that this sample will serve to broaden the acquaintance of the general machine learning community with the major areas of work on GAs. The articles in this book address a number of central issues in applying GAs to machine learning problems. For example, the c…