A note on a genetic algorithm approach for multiple criteria facility layout design

This note shows that the string representation developed by Islier brought to light an idea of a new operation in genetic algorithms. The new operation, referred to as a ‘cloning operation’, increases the solution diversity without sacrificing the solution quality. The note also illustrates that the string representation employed by Islier is unnecessarily long and it is enough to represent the layout with a two-segmented string rather than the three-segmented string as suggested by Islier. [See abstract 68567. This note is followed by a response from Islier, pp. 991–992.]