How long does it take to evolve a neural net?

Abstract

This paper deals with technical issues relevant to artificial neural net (ANN) training by genetic algorithms. Neural nets have applications ranging from perception to control; in the context of control, achieving great precision is more critical than in pattern recognition or classification tasks. In previous work, the authors have found that when employing genetic search to train a net, both precision and training speed can be greatly enhanced by an input renormalization technique. In this paper we investigate the automatic tuning of such renormalization coefficients, as well as the tuning of the slopes of the transfer functions of the individual neurons in the net. Waiting time analysis is presented as an alternative to the classical ”mean performance” interpretation of GA experiments. It is felt that it provides a more realistic evaluation of the real-world usefulness of a GA.