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From: roberts@aisb.ed.ac.uk (Robert Saunders)
Subject: GP with a REALLY small pop
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Date: Sat, 10 Dec 1994 15:39:25 GMT
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Hi all

I'm currently trying to do a final year project using Genetic Programming
to interactively evolve 3D objects based on a user's ideas of aestetics.
One of the major problems with this approach is that the population has
to be very small (9-25) so that the user can evaluate all the members.
I have been trying to think of ways to use the information gained from
the user work for the evolution on the most effective way.

One idea I have had which I would like some feedback on is to keep members
of previous populations beyond their normal lifespan in GP and reduce their
fitness according to age.

This would allow a more continuous model of evolution, allowing older
members a smaller (but significant) chance to contribute to later
populations than would be normal. Really old members could be killed
off once their fitness had fallen to a very low level but I doubt it
would be neccessary because of space considerations because of the
small population sizes.

It would seem to have some parallels in nature and I wondered if
anyone had heard of any research into this type of thing.

Cheers

Rob
