Genetic algorithms: An overview

Abstract

Genetic algorithms (GAs) are computer programs that mimic the processes of biological evolution in order to solve problems and to model evolutionary systems. In this paper I describe the appeal of using ideas from evolution to solve computational problems, give the elements of simple GAs, survey some application areas of GAs, and give a detailed example of how a GA was used on one particularly interesting problemautomatically discovering good strategies for playing the Prisoners Dilemma. The paper concludes with a short introduction to the theory of GAs