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Genetic Algorithms

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Encyclopedia of Database Systems
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Synonyms

Evolutionary algorithms; Evolutionary computation

Definition

A genetic algorithm (GA) is one of a number of heuristic techniques that attempt to find high-quality solutions to large and complex optimization problems. The term evolutionary algorithm is sometimes used synonymously, but is generally used to denote a rather wider class of heuristics. All such algorithms use the notion of a sequence of cycles that employ mutation of, and subsequent selection from, a population of candidate solutions. While these features are also found in a GA, its most distinctive characteristic is the use of recombination (or crossover) to generate new candidate solutions. A secondary idea found in many, but not all GAs, is the existence of an encoding function that maps the original optimization problem into a space that is hoped to be more congenial to the application of the GA operators.

Historical Background

The term genetic algorithm was first used by John Holland, whose book [8], first...

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Recommended Reading

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Reeves, C.R. (2009). Genetic Algorithms. In: LIU, L., ÖZSU, M.T. (eds) Encyclopedia of Database Systems. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-39940-9_562

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