An Essay Concerning Human Understanding of Genetic Programming

Abstract

This chapter presents a personal perspective on therelation between theory and practice in geneticprogramming. It posits that genetic programmingpractise (including both applications and techniqueenhancements) is moving toward biology and that itshould continue to do so. It suggests as a consequencethat future-oriented genetic programming theory(mathematical theory, developed to help analyse,understand, and predict system behaviour) should alsoborrow, increasingly, from biology. It presentsspecific challenges for theory vis-a-vis recenttechnique a enhancements, and briefly discussespossibilities for new forms of theory that will berelevant to the leading edge of genetic programmingpractice.