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Multi-parent's niche: N-ary crossovers on NK-landscapes

  • Modifications and Extensions of Evolutionary Algorithms Genetic Operators and Problem Representation
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Book cover Parallel Problem Solving from Nature — PPSN IV (PPSN 1996)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNCS,volume 1141))

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Abstract

Using the multi-parent diagonal and scanning crossover in GAs reproduction operators obtain an adjustable arity. Hereby sexuality becomes a graded feature instead of a Boolean one. Our main objective is to relate the performance of GAs to the extent of sexuality used for reproduction on less arbitrary functions then those reported in the current literature. We investigate GA behaviour on Kauffman's NK-landscapes that allow for systematic characterization and user control of ruggedness of the fitness landscape. We test GAs with a varying extent of sexuality, ranging from asexual to ’very sexual’. Our tests were performed on two types of NK-landscapes: landscapes with random and landscapes with nearest neighbour epistasis. For both landscape types we selected landscapes from a range of ruggednesses. The results confirm the superiority of (very) sexual recombination on mildly epistatic problems.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Leiden University, The Netherlands

    A. E. Eiben

  2. Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    C. A. Schippers

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  1. A. E. Eiben
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  2. C. A. Schippers
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Editor information

Hans-Michael Voigt Werner Ebeling Ingo Rechenberg Hans-Paul Schwefel

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© 1996 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Eiben, A.E., Schippers, C.A. (1996). Multi-parent's niche: N-ary crossovers on NK-landscapes. In: Voigt, HM., Ebeling, W., Rechenberg, I., Schwefel, HP. (eds) Parallel Problem Solving from Nature — PPSN IV. PPSN 1996. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 1141. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-61723-X_996

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-61723-X_996

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-61723-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-70668-7

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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