The effect of epigenetic blocking on dynamic multi-objective optimisation problems
Sizhe Yuen, Thomas H. G. Ezard, Adam James Sobey · Proceedings of the Genetic and Evolutionary Computation Conference Companion · 2022
Hundreds of Evolutionary Computation approaches have been reported. From an evolutionary perspective they focus on two fundamental mechanisms: cultural inheritance in Swarm Intelligence and genetic inheritance in Evolutionary Algorithms. Contemporary evolutionary biology looks beyond genetic inheritance, proposing an "Extended Evolutionary Synthesis". Many concepts from the Extended Evolutionary Synthesis have been left out of Evolutionary Computation as interest has moved towards specific implementations of the same general mechanisms. One such concept is epigenetic inheritance, which is increasingly considered central to evolutionary thinking. Epigenetic mechanisms allow quick non- or partially-genetic adaptations to environmental changes. Dynamic multi-objective optimisation problems represent similar circumstances to the natural world where fitness can be determined by multiple objectives (traits), and the environment is constantly changing.