Article ID: | iaor20011982 |
Country: | Netherlands |
Volume: | 126 |
Issue: | 1 |
Start Page Number: | 1 |
End Page Number: | 12 |
Publication Date: | Oct 2000 |
Journal: | European Journal of Operational Research |
Authors: | Hertz Alain, Kobler Daniel |
Keywords: | evolutionary algorithms, metaheuristics |
Evolutionary algorithms are optimisation techniques inspired from natural evolution processes. They handle a population of individuals that evolve with the help of information exchange procedures. Each individual may also evolve independently. Periods of co-operation alternate with periods of self-adaptation. We define a terminology and give a general framework for the description of the main features of any particular evolutionary algorithm. Such a description does not provide, nor does it replace, algorithm pseudo-codes. The aim is to develop tools that may help understanding the ‘philosophy’ of such methods.