Evolutionary Computing: The Most Powerful Problem Solver in the Universe?
Agoston Endre Eiben · 2002
In this paper we review evolutionary computing (EC) -- the science of building, applying and studying algorithms based on the Darwinian principles of natural selection. We briefly introduce the main concepts behind evolutionary computing, and sketch the history of EC. Then we present the main components all evolutionary algorithms (EA) share and sketch di erences between different types of EAs. Thereafter we consider two representatives, genetic algorithms and evolution strategies, in more detail. Finally, we discuss what EAs are good for, that is, we touch upon their strengths and weaknesses as well as some application areas ranging from combinatorial problems to entertainment and artificial life simulations.