Self-adaptation is an essential feature of natural evolution. However, in the context of function optimization, self-adaptation features of evolutionary search algorithms have been explored only with evolution strategy (ES) and evolutionary programming (EP). In this paper, we demonstrate the selfadaptive feature of real-parameter genetic algorithms (GAs) using simulated binary crossover (SBX) operator and without any mutation operator. The connection between the working of self-adaptive ESs and real-parameter GAs with SBX operator is also discussed. Thereafter, the self-adaptive behavior of real-parameter GAs is demonstrated on a number of test problems commonly-used in the ES literature. The remarkable similarity in the working principle of real-parameter GAs and self-adaptive ESs shown in this study suggests the need of emphasizing further studies on self-adaptive GAs.

. The role of the mutation rate in canonical genetic algorithms is investigated by comparing a constant setting, a deterministically varying, time-dependent mutation rate schedule, and a self-adaptation mechanism for individual mutation rates following the principle of self-adaptation as used in evolution strategies. The power of the self-adaptation mechanism is illustrated by a time-varying optimization problem, where mutation rates have to adapt continuously in order to follow the optimum. The strengths of the proposed deterministic schedule and the selfadaptation method are demonstrated by a comparison of their performance on difficult combinatorial optimization problems (multiple knapsack, maximum cut and maximum independent set in graphs). Both methods are shown to perform significantly better than the canonical genetic algorithm, and the deterministic schedule yields the best results of all control mechanisms compared. 1 Introduction Genetic Algorithms [11, 14] are the best kno...

Due to an increasing interest in solving real-world optimization problems using evolutionary algorithms (EAs), researchers have developed a number of real-parameter genetic algorithms (GAs) in the recent past. In such studies, the main research effort is spent on developing an efficient recombination operator. Such recombination operators use probability distributions around the parent solutions to create an ospring. Some operators emphasize solutions at the center of mass of parents and some around the parents. In this paper, we propose a generic parent-centric recombination operator (PCX) and a steady-state, elite-preserving, scalable, and computationally fast population-alteration model (we called the G3 model). The performance of the G3 model with the PCX operator is investigated on three commonly-used test problems and is compared with a number of evolutionary and classical optimization algorithms including other real-parameter GAs with UNDX and SPX operators, the correlated self-adaptive evolution strategy, the dierential evolution technique and the quasi-Newton method. The proposed approach is found to be consistently and reliably performing better than all other methods used in the study. A scale-up study with problem sizes up to 500 variables shows a polynomial computational complexity of the proposed approach. This extensive study clearly demonstrates the power of the proposed technique in tackling real-parameter optimization problems.