Assignment 'Getting started with Genetic Algorithms'

This assignment gets you started with the Genetic Algorithms (GA) software: galib.

GALib

• Download galib.tar.gz
• Save it in your ~/labsci directory and unpack it:

  [labsc@oeleboeter:~]$ cd labsci
  [labsc@oeleboeter:~/labsci/]$ tar zxvf galib.tar.gz
  [labsc@oeleboeter:~/labsci/]$ cd galib
  [labsc@oeleboeter:~/labsci/galib/]$
  

• Build and run the sample program galsample:

  [labsc@oeleboeter:~/labsci/galib/]$ make
  [labsc@oeleboeter:~/labsci/galib/]$ ./galsample
  

A basic GA run

What kind of output did the program produce? Take a look at galsample.cc and also the relevant functions in lib/Population.h. Compare this with Algorithm 4.1 in the course notes, try to understand the global structure of a GA run.

API Docs for GALib

The source code documentation for the GALib package will help you become familiar with all the code. Have a good look in these first weeks, because you will have to add code in many different places.

Representation of search space

Read Sec. 4.2 in the course notes, and get started with exercises 4.2 and 4.3.

Test the representation of integers and reals by letting galsample solve the MaxIntProblem and MaxRealProblem, respectively.