
Genetic Algorithms Digest   Monday, September 20, 1993   Volume 7 : Issue 25

 - 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 (Info in /pub/galist/FTP)

Today's Topics:
	- A Plea to Respondants
	- Why doubling efforts? (Re: V7n24 - GA Internet Resources)
	- Research Opportunities at the University of the West of England
	- Research Studentship
	- Research Associate post
	- GA's in Image Processing
	- Evolver 2.0
	- Micro-Canonical Annealing
	- Proposed new reference work

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

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

IEE/IEEE Workshop on Nat Alg in Signal Processing, Essex (v7n5) Nov 15-16, 93
AI'93 Workshop on Evolutionary Computation, Melbourne, Aust(v7n16) Nov 16, 93
EP94 3rd Ann Conf on Evolutionary Programming, San Diego (v7n7) Feb 24-25, 94
IEE94 Colloquium on Molecular Bioinformatics, London, UK (v7n21)   Feb 28, 94
SPIE, Neural & Stoch. Methods in Image & Sig Proc, Orlando(v7n18) Apr 5-8, 94
FLAIRS-94 Workshop on Artif Life and AI, Pensacola Beach, FL(v7n23) May 4, 94
The IEEE Conference on Evolutionary Computation, Orlando(v7n10) Jun 26-30, 94
SAB94 3rd Intl Conf on Sim of Adaptive Behavior, Brighton(v7n11) Aug 8-12, 94
ECAI-94, 11th European Conference on AI, Amsterdam (v7n23)       Aug 8-12, 94
ISRAM94 Special Session on Robotics & GAs, Maui, Hawaii (v7n22) Aug 14-17, 94
PPSN-94 Parallel Problem Solving from Nature, Israel (v7n9)      Oct 9-14, 94

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

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

From: David Beasley <David.Beasley@cm.cf.ac.uk>
Date: Fri, 27 Aug 1993 17:12:32 +0100 (BST)
Subject: A Plea to Respondants

Many interesting topics get raised on GA-Digest, but very often we never
get to hear the replies to the original messages. 

In some issue we might see questions such as 'Has anyone tried using a
GA for X?' or 'Can anyone explain why GAs behave like Y?'. But then, looking
in subsequent issues, very often the topic is never mentioned again.

Presumably original message posters get replies by email - but for the
rest of us, we never get to see the answer. Surveying past issues of
GA-Digest it just looks like a whole load of unanswered questions.
GA-Digest would be a lot more interesting if it contained replies too.

So, might I ask that either people send copies of their replies for
inclusion in GA-Digest too, or (better still) original posters of
questions summarise the responses they receive and send these back to
GA-Digest.

[Ed's Note: Sounds like a good idea! -- Connie]

Thankyou.

David Beasley     (david.beasley@cm.cf.ac.uk)
Department of Computing Mathematics                               __o 
University of Wales College of Cardiff                            \<, 
PO Box 916, CARDIFF   CF2 4YN, UK            ___________________()/ ()___ 

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

From: heitkoet@lusty.informatik.uni-dortmund.de
Date: Thu, 16 Sep 93 12:33:12 N
Subject: Why doubling efforts?

Dear Cesar Ramos-Cedeno,

I appreciate your idea to collect GA related Internet resources, BUT
it's already done. The FAQ in comp.ai.genetic (aka, "The Hitch-Hiker's Guide
to Evolutionary Computation") already includes all the resources you
mentioned (besides the GA-MOLECULE stuff), and much more...in it's PostScript
from (the next issue 1.07, will be released on 20th Sept.) it's 62 pages
long, and lists more than you ever wanted to know about GA and EC in general.

Maybe I should have announced "the Guide" on GA-list, but I thought that
the WORD would spread by itself. There are several "big shots" names involved
over the past month, who contributed. Now, I find that this is not the case,
and I feel sorry, somehow, for the doubling of efforts.

Like all other FAQs on USENET "the Guide" is kept at rtfm.mit.edu, so just
send e-mail with the following body to <mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu>, or ftp
directly.

send usenet/news.answers/help
send usenet/news.answers/index
send usenet/news.answers/ai-faq/genetic/part1
send usenet/news.answers/ai-faq/genetic/part2
send usenet/news.answers/ai-faq/genetic/part3
quit


> I. ACADEMIC DISCUSSION LISTS:
> 
> 1. GA-LIST@AIC.NRL.NAVY.MIL . All administrative details are available from
> GA-LIST-REQUEST@AIC.NRL.NAVY.MIL
> 
> 2. GA-MOLECULE@TAMMY.HARVARD.EDU . All administrative detail are available
> from GA-MOLECULE-REQUEST@TAMMY.HARVARD.EDU
> 
> 3. EVOLUTIONARY-COMPUTING@MAILBASE.AC.UK. All administrative details are
> available from EVOLUTIONARY-COMPUTING-REQUEST@MAILBASE.AC.UK
> V.  ELECTRONIC PUBLICATIONS:
> 
> 1. GA-DiGEST . This publication is available to all GA-LIST Members. The
>    last issue Vol. 7, No 22 was published in august. 1993
See Q15.1 -15.5 in "the Guide".

> III. FTP ANONYMOUS SITES
> 
> 1.  FTP.AIC.NRL.NAVY.MIL   Directory /pub/galist/FTP
See Q15.3 "Electronic Access to Research Institutes?" in "The Guide".

> IV. FREE GA SOFTWARE:
>  
>  1. LibGa version 1.00 is available using FTP ANONYMOUS from
>     Directory /pub/galist/src/ga/libga100.tar.Z at the site above
>     indicated.
>  2. Other GA Software: a complete Ga-Software-Guide is available at the
>     site above indicated. 
Nope. This collection is outdated since July, when Nici and I agreed that
he no longer maintans the GA-soft file, see part3 of the FAQ fore a more
up-to-date list. (See Q20 in "The Guide".)

> I am now collecting a complete guide that will be available soon, so I
> would greatly appreciate if you send me information on Internet/Bitnet
> resources related to GA not listed here. What about stablishing a
> GA-GOPHER SERVER?
A Gopher service is a nice idea, I am currently building one for our local
ftp server (that also hosts the PostScript version of "the Guide".
You should also consider including the "Big Dummy's Guide to the Internet",
an introduction to all currently available Internet services/tools/everything
on the Net. See the forthcoming FAQ for more on this subject.

Again, I am sorry for the doubling of efforts. Below I included the TOC
of this months issue. (Subsubsections are left out.)

        -joke

Joerg Heitkoetter
Systems Analysis Group                     "Just Do it!"
University of Dortmund, Germany            -- Nike Air commercial   
<joke@ls11.informatik.uni-dortmund.de>

------- cut here --------------------------------------------------------

		*TABLE OF CONTENTS*

 ai-faq/genetic/part1
     Q0:    What is this newsgroup for? How shall it be used?

     Q1:    What are Evolutionary Algorithms (EAs)?
     Q1.1:  What's a Genetic Algorithm (GA)?
     Q1.2:  What's Evolutionary Programming (EP)?
     Q1.3:  What's an Evolution Strategy (ES)?
     Q1.4:  What's a Classifier System (CFS)?
     Q1.5:  What's Genetic Programming (GP)?

     Q2:    What can you do with EAs? What can't you do with them?

     Q3:    Who is or should be concerned with EAs?

     Q4:    How many Evolutionary Algorithms exist? Which?
     Q4.1:  What about Tierra, VENUS, PolyWorld, etc.?

 ai-faq/genetic/part2
     Q5:    What about all this Optimization stuff?

     Q10:   Good introductory material about EAs?

     Q11:   Any journals and magazines about EAs?

     Q12:   The most important conferences concerned with EAs?

     Q13:   Evolutionary Computation Associations?

     Q14:   Where do I get technical reports on EAs from?

     Q15:   Other sources of information about EAs?
     Q15.1: Electronic Digests?
     Q15.2: Electronic Mailing Lists?
     Q15.3: Electronic Access to Research Institutes?
     Q15.4: Relevant Electronic News and FAQs?
     Q15.5: What about all these Internet Services?

     Q20:   Available EA software packages? FTP sites?
     Q20.1: Free EA software packages?
     Q20.2: Commercial EA software packages?
     Q20.3: Software from current research projects?

     Q42:   What is life all about?
     Q42b:  Is there a FAQ to this group?

     Q98:   What about Patents on EAs?
     Q99:   I don't get the message. What about a Glossary on EAs?

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

From: tcf@hal.uwe-bristol.ac.uk (Terry Fogarty)
Date: Fri, 17 Sep 93 15:57:51 BST
Subject: Research Opportunities at the University of the West of England, 
         Bristol

Research Opportunities at the University of the West of England, Bristol.

The Bristol Transputer Centre, within the Faculty of Computer Studies and 
Mathematics, undertakes research and collaboration projects in parallel and
distributed computing, artificial intelligence and databases.  Following its
successful rating in the recent Research Assessment exercise, the Centre
is now able to consolidate its activities and wishes to appoint two research
fellows and two research students to work within the following areas; 

Evolutionary Computation 
Cooperating Knowledge-based Systems 
Monitoring and Control of Distributed Systems
Eliciting rules using Machine Learning.

All posts are fixed term for a period of three years.

Research Fellows  REf;R/286

You should have a PhD and a significant research record in one of the above
areas.  Salary will be in the range 12,900 to 20,400 pounds sterling.
For informal discussion please contact Dr Roger Miles, on Bristol (0272) 656261 EXT 3180.
Selection will be on merit; we welcome applications from women, black people
and members of other minority ethnic groups and disabled people who are
under-represented in the Faculty.  For further information and an 
application form to be returned by 12th October 1993 please ring our 24 hour
answerphone service on Bristol (0272) 763813 or write to Personnel Services.
UWE Bristol, Frenchay Campus, Coldharbour Lane. Bristol  BS16 1QY.
Please quote the reference number in all correspondence.

Research Studentships

You should have a good honours degree in a computing related subject. The 
studentship will cover fees for registration for a higher degree and carry a 
bursary of 5,400 pounds sterling which may be supplemented by part time teaching

For an informal discussion please contact Dr Roger Miles on Bristol (0272) 
656261 ext 3180.  For further information please ring Mrs Fay Coleman, The 
Administrator, Bristol Transputer Centre on Bristol (0272) 656261 ext 3183.

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

From: John Galletly <john@buckingham.ac.uk>
Date: Mon, 30 Aug 93 15:38:22 BST
Subject: Research Studentship

Research Studentship in Computer Science

A Research Studentship in Computer Science is available and tenable for
three years, starting as soon as possible, in the Department of Mathematics,
Statistics and Computer Science at the University of Buckingham, UK.

The research may be carried out in one, or, preferably, in a combination, of
the following areas:

	Neural Networks
	Genetic Algorithms
	Parallel Processing
	Expert Systems
	Database Systems
	Computational Geometry
	
The successful applicant is expected to register for a D. Phil. degree, will
have tuition fees waived and will receive a grant of #5,040 (pounds sterling)
per annum.

Apply in writing, stating the preferred area of research, to
Professor Chris Adams, (Research Studentship), Department of Mathematics,
Statistics and Computer Science, University of Buckingham, Buckingham MK18 1EG,
UK. Include a curriculum vitae, and the names and addresses of two referees.
A good honours degree in a relevant discipline is required. Applicants with a
good mathematical background will have an advantage.

Electronic mail queries should be addressed to studentship@uk.ac.buckingham.

Background

The Department is young but is successful in attracting research funding, is
small but big enough to support a significant range of research interests,
and has a friendly, informal atmosphere. Computing equipment available
includes networks of Sun workstations, Apple Macintoshs, PCs and transputers.

Buckingham is a small town about 20 miles north of Oxford and about 15 miles
west of Milton Keynes. It offers a relaxed environment with the choice of
living in the town or one of the nearby rural villages. London may be reached
in less than an hour by train from either Oxford or Milton Keynes.

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

From: carlos fonseca <fonseca@acse.sheffield.ac.uk>
Date: Wed, 1 Sep 93 15:31:00 BST
Subject: RESEARCH ASSOCIATE post

The University of Sheffield

Department of Automatic Control & Systems Engineering

RESEARCH ASSOCIATE
Genetic Algorithms in Control Systems Engineering

Applications are invited for the above SERC-funded post tenable
initially for one year from 1 October 1993 or soon after, to carry
out an exploratory investigation to identify a suitable range of
research targets in the use of genetic algorithms in control systems
engineering.  As a result of the investigation, it is hoped to extend
the post to undertake further research in the area.  The successful
applicant will be joining a large and lively Department with an
outstanding international reputation for the quality of its research.

Applicants should hold a PhD in Control Engineering, Electrical
Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science or related
fields.  A strong background in control engineering and in the use of
genetic algorithms would be an advantage.

Salary on the Research 1A Scale (stlg12,828-stlg15,186pa).

Informal enquiries to Professor Peter Fleming (Tel: 0742 825233, Fax:
0742 731729, email: P.Fleming@sheffield.ac.uk).  Further particulars
from the Director of Personnel Services, The University of Sheffield,
Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, Tel: 0742 824144.  Closing date for
applications: 24 September 1993.  Ref:B2174.

An Equal Opportunity Employe

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

From: kpark@cs.gmu.edu (K. Park --KP)
Date: Sat, 11 Sep 93 11:36:47 EDT
Subject: GA's in Image Processing

Hello GA researchers,
 
   I am looking for some information on genetic algorithms in early vision 
(image processing) problems. I am particularly interested in a parallel 
genetic algorithm that is applied to an optimization process arouse in 
image synthesis. 

Let us consider a system that takes a noisy image $x$ as the input and 
produces the output $y$ which is a possible reconstructed image.
It is well known that the use of Markov random fields and simulated annealing 
is one approach to such a image synthesis problem. Instead of SA, I want to
apply GAs to the problem. Does anybody know any GA bibliography on this stuff? 
If you have experience or pointers to work in this area, please send me some 
notes/opinions and references.  Thank you for your reply.  
 
Looking forward to receiving soon. 
 
--K.Park
  Internet: kpark@cs.gmu.edu
  Bitnet:   kpark@gmuvax       

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

From: cscbp@knuth.mtsu.edu (Dr. Chris Pettey)
Date: Fri, 10 Sep 1993 12:56:50 -0500 (CDT)
Subject: Evolver 2.0

Has anyone ever used Evolver 2.0? This is supposedly an "optimizing
add-in for Microsoft Excel."  The article appeared in PC magazine in
June 93.  It sounds like a GA, but is it really?  And is it any good?
A professor in the Business School is thinking about buying it, and he
asked my opinion.  Thanks for any info.

Chrisila C. Pettey
email:  cscbp@knuth.mtsu.edu

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

From: suchi@pollux.cs.uga.edu (Suchi Bhandarkar)
Date: Thu, 16 Sep 1993 12:14:05 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Micro-Canonical Annealing

   Could somebody provide me with a reference that contains the formal 
proof of the asymptotic convergence of the Micro-Canonical 
Annealing Algorithm by M. Creutz. The original paper by M. Creutz 
is as follows: 

M. Creutz, "Microcanonical Monte Carlo Simulation", in Physical 
Review Letters, Vol. 50, No. 19, May 9, 1983, pp. 1411 - 1414. 

The original paper however does not contain a formal proof 
of  asymptotic convergence, only simulation results. Please 
e-mail your responses to "suchi@cs.uga.edu" 

Thank you very much, 

Suchi Bhandarkar 
Dept. of Computer Science
Univ. of Georgia
suchi@cs.uga.edu

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

From: "Sean Pidgeon" <pidgeon@a1.relay.upenn.edu>
Date: Tue, 24 Aug 93 14:12:01 -0400
Subject: Proposed new reference work

Dear Readers:

In collaboration with Oxford University Press, Institute of Physics 
Publishing is planning to develop a major new work of reference for the 
evolutionary computation community. We are currently in the process of 
developing a similar work for the field of neural computation. The proposed 
Handbook of Evolutionary Computation would form a natural companion volume.

I would be most grateful if you could spare a few minutes to study the 
attached outline and respond to the questions appended to it. Many thanks 
for your help.

Sean Pidgeon
Publisher
IOP Publishing

HANDBOOK OF EVOLUTIONARY COMPUTATION

A joint publication of Oxford University Press and the Institute of
Physics

The Handbook of Evolutionary Computation will address the need for
a comprehensive and readily updatable source of reference in this
maturing field. The Handbook will be published in parallel in two
updatable formats, loose-leaf paper and CD-ROM, and kept up to date
by means of supplements published on a regular basis. Details of
new paradigms, algorithms or applications may be submitted to the
Handbook editors for peer review and possible inclusion in a future
supplement to the Handbook. In this way we will create a moving
compendium of the state of the art of evolutionary computation.

The Handbook will in no way compete with existing journal
publications. It will be a reference resource that will be entirely
complementary to the journal literature.


Key features:

Provides timely information in a rapidly changing field

A practical guide to the development and implementation of
evolutionary algorithms

Presents established theoretical models for evolutionary
computation

Incorporates all current EC paradigms

A comprehensive source of reference for all developers and users of
evolutionary algorithms 

Provides an information pathway between scientists and engineers in
different disciplines who apply evolutionary algorithms to
generically similar problems


Possible contents:

Foreword [by EC "giants" working in different sub-fields]

Preface [describing the purpose of the Handbook]

Acknowledgements

Table of contents

List of symbols

Part 1: Introduction 

1.1 How to use this Handbook [user's guide]

1.2 Notations and nomenclature

1.3 The history of evolutionary computation

Part 2: Fundamental Concepts of Evolutionary Computation

2.1 Introduction [what is EC, and what does it do?]

2.2 The principles of evolutionary adaptation [nature's paradigm]

2.3 Fundamentals of evolutionary computation paradigms [genetic
algorithms, evolution strategies, evolutionary programming, genetic
programming, etc.]

Part 3: Evolutionary Algorithms

[details of all the important algorithms currently in existence;
includes pseudocode descriptions but probably not source code; the
structure of this section may help define a "taxonomy" of
evolutionary algorithms]

Part 4: Applications of Evolutionary Algorithms

[describes a wide range of applications in many areas: engineering,
economics, combination with neural nets & fuzzy logic, etc. etc.]

Appendices [important mathematical proofs, etc.]

References

Glossary

Index


     HANDBOOK OF EVOLUTIONARY COMPUTATION
     Readership survey

1    Do you feel that there is a need for a publication of this
     type?

2    How useful to you, personally, is it likely to be?

3    Would you wish to purchase a personal copy of the Handbook?  

4    Would you encourage your library to obtain a copy?

5    Are you aware of any related (and possibly overlapping)
     publications? If so, please list them below, together with any
     comments you may have on their general usefulness or on the
     extent of the overlap.

6    Do you have any suggestions for improvement or expansion of
     the attached draft aims and scope?

7    Would you, in principle, be interested in participating in
     this project, either as a coordinating editor or as a
     contributing author?

8    Do you feel that the proposed loose-leaf format (new or
     improved information added to a ringbound book) is
     appropriate?

9    Would you find it useful to have the handbook available in an
     electronic format (e.g.CD-ROM)?

10   What is your main area of interest?

11   Would you be kind enough to include the names and addresses of
     colleagues who might find this proposal of interest?

12   Any other comments/suggestions?

13   What is your name and address? Please give phone, fax and
     email if possible.

Please return to:

Sean Pidgeon
Publisher
IOP Publishing Inc
The Public Ledger Building, Suite 1035 
Independence Square
Philadelphia, PA  19106
USA

Tel:  (215) 627 0880                                   
Fax:  (215) 627 0879
Email: pidgeon@a1.relay.upenn.edu

------------------------------
End of Genetic Algorithms Digest
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