
Genetic Algorithms Digest   Monday, May 11 1992   Volume 6 : Issue 16

 - Send submissions to GA-List@AIC.NRL.NAVY.MIL
 - Send administrative requests to GA-List-Request@AIC.NRL.NAVY.MIL
 - anonymous ftp archive: FTP.AIC.NRL.NAVY.MIL (see v6n5 for details)

Today's Topics:
	- Need information: Artificial Life III
	- Cross-over vs Mutation
	- Looking for Tech Report: GAs: Deception, Convergence...
	- Announcement: Biocomputation Workshop
	- Technical Report Available: "Darwinian Ontology"

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CALENDAR OF GA-RELATED ACTIVITIES: (with GA-List issue reference)

 Canadian AI Conference, Vancouver,                           May 11-15, 1992
 COGANN, Combinations of GAs and NNs, @ IJCNN-92 (v5n31)      Jun 6,     1992
 ARTIFICIAL LIFE III, Santa Fe, NM                            Jun 15-19, 1992
 Evolution as a computational process, Monterey (v6n9)        Jun 22-24, 1992
 ML-92, Machine Learning Conference, Aberdeen (v6n8)          Jul  1-3,  1992
 10th National Conference on AI, San Jose,                    Jul 12-17, 1992
 FOGA-92, Foundations of Genetic Algorithms, Colorado (v5n32) Jul 26-29, 1992
 COG SCI 92, Cognitive Science Conference, Indiana, (v5n39)   Jul 29-1,  1992
 ECAI 92, 10th European Conference on AI (v5n13)              Aug  3-7,  1992
 Parallel Problem Solving from Nature, Brussels, (v5n29)      Sep 28-30, 1992
 SAB92, From Animals to Animats, Honolulu (v6n6)              Dec  7-11, 1992

 (Send announcements of other activities to GA-List@aic.nrl.navy.mil)

**********************************************************************
----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: tilley@gabber.Kodak.COM (Dave Tilley)
Date: Mon, 20 Apr 92 13:56:11 EDT
Subject: Need information: Artificial Life III

   Hi,
	   I am looking for information on "Artificial Life III". I need to
   get registration information.  Thanks.

   Dave Tilley
   tilley@kodak.com

------------------------------

From: mhwh@ukc.ac.uk
Date: Tue, 21 Apr 92 10:44:18 +0100
Subject: Cross-over vs Mutation

	   I have been using a steady-state, rank based genetic algorithm
   (loosely based on Whitley's Genitor) with a uniform cross-over and
   produced some pleasing results. However, on investigation I find that the
   results obtained with the cross-over operator disabled are only marginally
   worse than those using all the benefits of the GA paradigm.

	   Typical parameters are a population of 100, bitstring length 80, 
   70/30 split between a crossover or mutation reproduction event 
   (probability of mutation 0.06 per bit) and about 5000 individuals 
   in a run.

	   I am quite prepared to believe that it is my implementation of 
   the GA, the encoding of the problem, or some other mistake that can 
   be laid at my door which can explain this apparent anomaly. But, if 
   for the sake of argument, this is a real effect it implies that most 
   of the real benefits of the GA, for this problem, can be obtained by 
   the way in which strings are selected and removed, rather than the way 
   in which they are generated.

	   Does this mean that the advantage gained by using a cross-over 
   operator is an indicator of the effectiveness of the GA 
   implementation, or simply that in some problems the advantages are 
   small over a 'mutation only' reproduction technique?

   Any thoughts or pointers will be greatly appreciated as we are trying to 
   establish the potential of GAs against other conventional methods.

   Mike Hobbs
   Computing Laboratory
   University of Kent at Canterbury
   Canterbury
   Kent
   UK
   email: mhwh@ukc.ac.uk

------------------------------

From: Alex.Shevoroshkin@um.cc.umich.edu
Date: Tue, 21 Apr 92 16:20:16 EDT
Subject: Looking for Tech Report: GAs: Deception, Convergence...

   Hello.  

     Does anyone know how to get hold of a technical report submitted
   to JETAI by Jason Kingdon, entitled : Genetic Algorithms: Deception,
   Convergence and Starting Conditions.

     The announcement of the report appeared a couple of issues ago on
   GA-list, but the E-mail address provided does not seem to work.

     Any information will be greatly appreciated.
	      Alex Shevoroshkin.

------------------------------

From: rsjuds@snll-arpagw.llnl.gov (judson richard s)
Date: Wed, 6 May 92 14:19:44 -0700
Subject: Announcement: Biocomputation Workshop

   BIOCOMPUTATION WORKSHOP
   Evolution as a computational process
   June 22-24, 1992
   Doubletree Hotel
   2 Portola Plaza
   Monterey, Ca 93940

   Sponsored by the Institute for Scientific Computing Research at LLNL and
   the Center for Computational Engineering at SNL

   This workshop brings together biologists, physicists and computer
   scientists with interests in the study of evolution.  The premisis of the
   workshop is that natural evolution is computational process of adaption to
   an ever changing environment.  Mathematical theory and computer modeling
   are therefore ideally suited to study evolution and conversely, evolution
   may be used as a model system to study the computational processes of
   optimization and emergent pattern formation.

   Fifteen invited speakers will provide general reviews and summaries of
   their recent research.  Although oral presentations will be limited to the
   invited speakers, original research contributions are solicited for poster
   sessions in the following areas:

   natural evolution
   artificial life
   genetic algorithms and optimization


   List of speakers:

   Stuart Kauffman      --- University of Pensylvania, Santa Fe Institute
   Alan Templeton*      --- Washington University, St. Louis
   Daniel Hillis        --- Thinking Machines Inc.
   Richard Hudson*      --- University of California, Irvine
   Steven Frank         --- University of California, Irvine
   Alan Hastings        --- University of California, Davis
   Warren Ewens*        --- Melbourne University and University of Phil
   Marcus Feldman       --- Stanford University
   Lee Altenberg*       --- Duke University
   Aviv Bergman         --- SRI  and Stanford University
   Mark Bedau           --- Reed College
   Gary Beluzo          --- Holyoke Community College
   Heinz Muehlenbein    --- University of Bonn

   (* invited, not confirmed)


   Instructions for Submissions and registration:

   Authors should submit a single-page abstract clearly stating their results
   by May 15, 1992, to the Meeting Coordinator at the address listed below.
   Please indicate which of the above categories best applies to your paper.
   There will be no parallel sessions, and the workshop will be structured to
   stimulate and facilitate the active involvement of all attendees.  There
   will be sessions on the first 2 days from 9:00 AM till 5:00 PM with 1-2
   hrs lunch breaks. On the third day there will be a morning session and a
   short afternoon session only (maybe one talk until 3:00 PM).  Registration
   fees are $100 for full-time Ph.D. students and $250 for all others.  Fees
   include admission to a banquet, at the Monterey aquarium, to be held on
   Monday night.  (There is a $50 discount for students presenting posters at
   the meeting.)

   To obtain registration materials and housing
   information, please contact the Meeting Coordinator.

   For information only please contact eeckman@mozart.llnl.gov
   Electronic abstract submissions only at jb@s1.gov


   Meeting coordinator:  

   Chris Ghinazzi
   P.O. Box 808, L-426
   Lawrence Livermore Laboratory
   Livermore, CA 94550

   phone: (510) 422-7132

   email: ghinazzi@verdi.llnl.gov


   Please complete this form and return it to:  Evolution as a Computational 
   Process, c/o Chris Ghinazzi, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory,
   P.O. Box 808, L-426, Livermore, CA 94550-9900.  Phone (510)422-7132 or
   FAX: (510)422-7819

   REGISTRATION FORM

   Name:
   Title:
   Organization:
   Address:
   City:
   State:
   Zip:
   Country:
   Citizenship:
   Telephone:
   email address:

   Registration Fees:
	   Regular 	 $250
	   Student		 $100
	   Student w/poster  $50

   Are you submitting a poster?	yes	no

   Total Payment Enclosed $________
	   Check or Money Order (payable in US dollars to UC Regents)

   Requests for refunds must be received in writing no later than June 1,
   1992.  Attendance is on a first-pay, first-serve basis.

------------------------------

From: "Barry McMullin, DCU (Dublin, Ireland) <75008378@dcu.ie>"
Date: Wed, 22 Apr 1992 10:27 GMT
Subject: Technical Report Available: "Darwinian Ontology"

   [The following announcement is being cross-posted on Alife Digest,
   GA-List Digest, and POP+BIO.  If you subscribe to more than one,
   my apologies for the noise.  All flames to me, not the list or
   list maintainers! This TR is first in a series I hope to complete
   over the next month or two. Instructions for obtaining a copy of
   the TR are at the end. Enjoy.]

   +++++++++++++++++

			   TR ANNOUNCEMENT
			   ---------------


		       Essays on Darwinism
		   1: Ontological Foundations

		Barry McMullin,
		School of Electronic Engineering,
		Dublin City University,
		Dublin 9,
		IRELAND.

		<McMullinB@DCU.IE>

			   March 1992

		  Technical Report: bmcm9201


   The problem tackled in this essay is to formulate ``Darwinian''
   theory in a way which is divorced from any specifically
   biological interpretation. For my purposes, the crucial
   constraint on this abstract formulation of Darwinian theory is
   that it must qualify as a realisation of {\em unjustified
   variation and selective retention\/} in the sense of
   D.T.~Campbell [see .bib references below]---for it is (arguably)
   only thus that Darwinian evolution can lead to the spontaneous
   growth of ``knowledge''. I hope that such an abstract formulation
   might help to clarify the application of the theory even in its
   native biological setting; but, more importantly, it seems to me
   that this exercise is a necessary pre-requisite for the valid
   application of Darwinian principles in any domain {\em other\/}
   than conventional, terrestrial, biology---such as the emerging
   field of study commonly referred to as {\em Artificial Life}. In
   attempting to solve the problem of formulating a satisfactory,
   abstract, version of Darwinism, I introduce a novel ontological
   category: the Similarity-lineage, or {\em S-lineage}. With the
   aid of this hybrid category, which combines some aspects of both
   a class and an individual, I argue that Darwinian evolution
   relies on a process of S-lineage selection---which is to say that
   S-lineages are, in a certain precise sense, the elusive Darwinian
   {\em units of selection}.

   +++++++++++++++++

   REFERENCES:

   @ARTICLE{
     Campbell:BlindVariationInCreativeThought,
     AUTHOR    = "Donald T. Campbell",
     TITLE     = "Blind Variation and Selective Retention in
		  Creative Thought as in Other Knowledge Processes",
     JOURNAL   = "Psychological Review",
     YEAR      = 1960,
     VOLUME    = 67,
     NUMBER    = 6,
     PAGES     = "380--400"
     }

   @INCOLLECTION{
     Campbell:BlindVariationAsGeneralStrategy,
     AUTHOR    = "Donald T. Campbell",
     TITLE     = "Blind Variation and Selective Survival as a
		  General Strategy in Knowledge-Processes",
     CROSSREF  = "Yovits:SelfOrganizingSystems",
     PAGES     = "205--231"
     }

   @INCOLLECTION{
     Campbell:EvolutionaryEpistemology,
     AUTHOR    = "Donald T. Campbell",
     TITLE     = "Evolutionary Epistemology",
     CROSSREF  = "Schilpp:Popper",
     PAGES     = "413--463 (Book~I)"
     }

   @INCOLLECTION{
     Campbell:UnjustifiedVariation,
     AUTHOR    = "Donald T. Campbell",
     TITLE     = "Unjustified Variation and Selective Retention
		  in Scientific Discovery",
     CROSSREF  = "Ayala:PhilosophyOfBiology",
     CHAPTER   = 9,
     PAGES     = "139--161"
     }

   @BOOK{
     Ayala:PhilosophyOfBiology,
     EDITOR    = "Francisco Jose Ayala and Theodosius Dobzhansky",
     TITLE     = "Studies in the Philosophy of Biology",
     BOOKTITLE = "Studies in the Philosophy of Biology",
     PUBLISHER = "The Macmillan Press Ltd.",
     ADDRESS   = "London",
     YEAR      = 1974
     }

   @BOOK{
     Schilpp:Popper,
     EDITOR    = "Paul Arthur Schilpp",
     TITLE     = "The Philosophy of Karl Popper",
     BOOKTITLE = "The Philosophy of Karl Popper",
     PUBLISHER = "Open Court",
     ADDRESS   = "Illinois",
     YEAR      = 1974,
     VOLUME    = "XIV",
     SERIES    = "The Library of Living Philosophers"
     }

   @BOOK{
     Yovits:SelfOrganizingSystems,
     EDITOR    = "Marshall C. Yovits and Scott Cameron",
     TITLE     = "Self-Organizing Systems",
     BOOKTITLE = "Self-Organizing Systems",
     PUBLISHER = "Pergamon Press",
     ADDRESS   = "Oxford",
     YEAR      = 1960,
     NOTE      = "Proceedings of an interdisciplinary conference,
		  5~and 6~May, 1959"
     }

   +++++++++++++++++

   Copies are available in the following three ways, in order of
   (my) preference:

   1: ftp bmcm9201.ps.Z from pub/alife/papers on the Alife archive
      (ftp.cognet.ucla.edu). To retrieve, do (something like) the
      following:

   unix-1> ftp ftp.cognet.ucla.edu
   Connected to ftp.cognet.ucla.edu
   Name (ftp.cognet.ucla.edu:): anonymous
   331 Guest login ok, sent ident as password.
   Password: [identification]
   230 Guest login ok, access restrictions apply.
   ftp> cd pub/alife/papers
   ftp> binary
   ftp> get bmcm9201.ps.Z
   ftp> quit
   unix-2> uncompress bmcm9201.ps.Z
   unix-3> lpr -P(your_local_postscript_printer) bmcm9201.ps

   [Many thanks to Alife maintainer, Rob Collins, for making this
   possible.  If you have any problems, complain to me not Rob.]

   2: If you don't have ftp access, I can email the file to you, on
   request (uuencoded, split into about 3 by 55k chunks).  You'll have
   to be able to strip off the mail headers, glue it back together,
   uudecode, uncompress, and print postscript (or preview etc.).

   3: If that's all gobbledegook to you, then a limited number of
   good old fashioned hard copies will be available. Send me your
   full postal address. First come first served.


   In cases 2 and 3 contact me as <McMullinB@DCU.IE> (do *not* send
   requests to the whole list...).

   +++++++++++++++++

   That's all for now folks .... Barry.

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End of Genetic Algorithms Digest
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