On relation between swarm and evolutionary dynamics and complex networks

Abstract

This paper is an introduction to a novel method for visualizing the dynamics of evolutionary algorithms in the form of networks. The whole idea is based on the obvious similarity between interactions between individuals in a swarm and evolutionary algorithms and for example, users of social networks, linking between web pages, etc. In this paper, two completely different areas of research are merged: (complex) networks and evolutionary computation. As already mentioned, interactions among the individuals in a swarm and evolutionary algorithms can be considered like user interactions in social networks or just people in society. This induces hypothesis whether interactions inside of EAs can be taken like interactions in society or swarm colonies. The analogy between individuals in populations in an arbitrary evolutionary algorithm and vertices of a network is discussed, as well as between edges in a network and communication between individuals in a population.