ABOQUE, PAUL JOSHUA V.

BSCS 2A

ASSESSMENT

1. Discuss what is an evolutionary algorithm?

 Evolutionary algorithms are a heuristic-based approach to solving problems that cannot be easily
solved in polynomial time, such as classically NP-Hard problems, and anything else that would
take far too long to exhaustively process. When used on their own, they are typically applied to
combinatorial problems; however, genetic algorithms are often used in tandem with other
methods, acting as a quick way to find a somewhat optimal starting place for another algorithm
to work off of. 
 The premise of an evolutionary algorithm (to be further known as an EA) is quite simple given that you
are familiar with the process of natural selection. An EA contains four overall steps: initialization,
selection, genetic operators, and termination. These steps each correspond, roughly, to a particular
facet of natural selection, and provide easy ways to modularize implementations of this algorithm
category. Simply put, in an EA, fitter members will survive and proliferate, while unfit members will die
off and not contribute to the gene pool of further generations, much like in natural selection.

2. Explain the difference between the phenotype and genotype. Give at least two examples from
phenotype to genotype encoding.
 A genotype refers to the genetic characteristics of an organism. A phenotype refers to the
physical characteristics. For example, having blue eyes (an autosomal recessive trait) is a
phenotype; lacking the gene for brown eyes is a genotype. Dysferlin deficiency will only cause
muscle weakness (phenotype) if a person has two defective copies of the dysferlin gene
(genotype). The genotype of two defective dysferlin genes is associated with two different
phenotypes, the symptoms of LGMD2B or of Miyoshi Myopathy.

3. Explain the role of parent selection process in GA?

 The role of parent selection or mate selection is to distinguish among individuals based on
their quality, and, in particular, to allow the better individuals to become parents of the next
generation. An individual is a parent if it has been selected to undergo variation in order to
create offspring. Together with the survivor selection mechanism, parent selection is
responsible for pushing quality improvements. In EC, parent selection is typically
probabilistic. Thus, high-quality individuals have more chance of becoming parents than
those with low quality. Nevertheless, low-quality individuals are often given a small, but
positive chance; otherwise the whole search could become too greedy and the population
could get stuck in a local optimum.

4. Give at least 3 problems except the TSP, Knapsack Problem, and Eight Queens Problem. Give
each an introductory on how it’s solves using EA.