Phase Transitions in Genetic Programming Search

Abstract

Phase transitions and critical phenomena occur notonly in thermodynamic systems but also in nonphysicalsystems that occur in computation. Of particularinterest is the possibility that phase transitionsoccur in GP search. If this were so, it would allow fora statistical mechanics approach that would allow forquantitative comparisons of GP with a broad variety ofrigorously described systems. This chapter summarisesour research group's work in this area and describes acase study that illustrates what is involved inestablishing the existence of phase transitions in GPsearch.