An object-oriented library in Javascript to build modular and flexible cross-platform evolutionary algorithms

Abstract

This paper introduces jsEO, a new evolutionary computation library that is executed in web browsers, as it is written in Javascript. The library allows the rapid development of evolutionary algorithm, and makes easier the collaboration between different clients by means of individuals stored in a web server. In this work, jsEO has been tested against two simple problems, such as the Royal Road function and a 128-terms equation, and analysing how many machines and evaluations it yields. This paper attempts to reproduce results of older papers using modern browsers and all kind of devices that, nowadays, have JavaScript integrated in the browser, and is a complete rewrite of the code using the popular MooTools library. Results show that the system makes easier the development of evolutionary algorithms, suited for different chromosomes representations and problems, that can be simultaneously executed in many different operating systems and web browsers, sharing the best solutions previously found.