Genetic algorithm

Based on Darwins theory of Evolution (the fittest will

survive)
GAs are search algorithms based on the idea of natural
selection and genetics
GA looks for the best solution among a number of
possible solutions
It is a stochastic algorithm

 Basic Terminologies in GA
An Individual: An individual is a single solution while
population is the set of individuals
Genes: They are the basic instructions for building GA. A
gene is a bit string of arbitrary lengths
Fitness: The fitness of an individual in GA is the value of
an objective function. The fitness function not only
indicates how good the solution is but also corresponds
to how close the chromosome is to the optimal one

Simple GA
Start with the randomly generated solution
Calculate the fitness of each chromosome in the
population
Repeat the following steps until n offsprings have been
created
Select a pair of parent chromosomes from the current population
With crossover probability Pc, the pair is chosen to form two offsprings
at randomly
Mutate the two offsprings

Replace the current population with the new population

Go to step 2

General Genetic Algorithm

The general GA is as follows
1) create a random initial state: An initial population is
created from a random selection of solutions
2). Evaluate fitness: A value of fitness is assigned to
each solution depending on how close it actually is to
solving the problem.
3)Reproduce: Those chromosomes with higher fitness
values are more likely to reproduce offsprings. The
offspring is the product of father and mother whose
combination consists of combination of genes from the
two. This process is known as crossing over. Offspring
cam mutate after reproduction. Selection, crossing over
and mutation together called as Evolution

 4) Next generation: if the new generation contains a

solution that produces an output that is close enough or
equal to the desired answer, then the problem has been
solved. If not, the new generation will go through the
same process as theirs parents did. This will continue
until a solution is reached

Operators in GA
Encoding: It is a process of representing individual
genes. This process can be performed using bits,
numbers,lists etc.The most common way of encoding is
a binary string.
Selection: It is a process of choosing two parents from
the population for crossing
After deciding on an encoding, the next step is to decide
how to perform selection i.e how to choose individuals
from the population that will create offspring for next
generation and how many offsprings. According to
Darwins theory of evolution, the best ones survive to
create new offspring

 Proportionate based selection: picks out individuals

based upon their fitness value relative to the fitness of
other individuals
Ordinal based selection: Depend upon their rank in the
population and independent on fitness
Crossover: It is the process of taking two parent
solutions and producing a child. Reproduction makes a
clones of good strings but does not create a new one.
Crossover is applied to a matting pool with the hope that
it creates a better offspring

 Crossover proceeds in three steps

the reproduction operator selects a random pair of
two individual strings for the matting
A cross site is selected at random along the string
length
Finally, the position values are swapped between the
two strings following the cross site

Single point cross over

Parent 1

10110 010

parent2

10101 111

child1

10110 111

child2

10101 010

Mutation: After crossover, the strings are subjected to

mutation.
Flipping involves changing a 0 to 1 or 1 to 0 based on a
mutation chromosome generated.
Interchanging: the random positions of the strings are
chosen and the corresponding to these positions are
interchanged
Reversing: A random position is chosen and the bits next
to that position are reversed and child chromosome is
produced

parent

10110101

child

11110001

interchanging at 2nd & 6th

position

Parent

10110101

Mutation
chromosome

10001001

child

0011 1100

Flipping

parent

10110011

child

10110110

Reversing

 Stopping condition for GA

1. Maximum generations : when specified number of
generations has evolved, the GA stops
2. Elapsed time: The genetic process will end when
specified time is elapsed.
3. No change in fitness: The genetic process will end if
there is no change to the population best fitness for a
specified number of generations

Consider the problem of maximizing the function

f(x) = x2 where x is permitted to vary between 0 and 31
unconstrained optimization problem

Solution
Step1). To start, select initial population at random. Here a population
of 4 is chosen

String No

Initial
population

X value

Fitness

prob

01100

12

144

0.1247 12.47

0.4987 1

11001

25

625

0.5411

2.1645 2

00101

25

0.0216 2.16

0.0866 0

10011

19

361

0.3126 31.26

1.2502 1

sum

1155

1.000

100

4.000

Average

288.75 0.25

25

1.000

Maximum

625

54.11

2.1645

0.5411

% prob

54.11

Expected
count

Actual
count

The expected count is calculated as fitness/ Average

Roulette wheel

31.26%
12.47%
2.16%
54.11%

Now write the matting pool based on the actual count

String No

Mating
pool

Cross over
point

Offspring
after
crossover

X value

Fitness
value

01100

01101

13

169

11001

11000

24

576

11001

11011

27

729

10011

10001

17

289

sum

1763

average

440.75

maximum

729

Now mutation is performed to produce new offspring after cross over

operation
After mutation, the values are decoded and the fitness values are
calculated

String no

offspring

Mutation
chromosome

New
offspring

X value

fitness

01101

10000

11101

29

841

1 1 0 00

00000

11000

24

576

11011

00000

11 0 1 1

27

729

10001

00100

10100

20

400

Sum

2546

Average

636.5

Maximum

841

 The average fitness has increased from 288.75 to 636.5

in one generation
1 1 1 0 1 offspring is the excellent choice after one
simple GA

GA for membership functions in Fuzzy

GA can be used to determine the fuzzy membership function

1) for a particular functional mapping system, the same membership
functions and shapes are assumed for various fuzzy variables to be
defined
2) The chosen membership functions are coded into strings
3). These bit strings are concatenated together
4). The fitness function to be used here is noted
5). Fitness function is used to evaluate the fitness of each set of
membership functions
6). The process of generating and evaluating strings is carried out
until we get a convergence. Hence we get membership functions
with best fitness value using genetic algorithm