Dissertation Deposition
I deposited my dissertation today.
Click here to see the final version (single spaced for easy reading).
The Fundamental Problem with the Building Block Hypothesis (new manuscript)
Abstract: Skepticism of the building block hypothesis has previously been expressed on account of the weak theoretical foundations of this hypothesis and anomalies in the empirical record of the simple genetic algorithm. In this paper we focus on a more fundamental cause for skepticism—the extraordinary strength of some of the assumptions undergirding the building block hypothesis. As many of these assumptions have been embraced by the designers of so called “competent” genetic algorithms, our critique is relevant to an appraisal of such algorithms. We argue that these assumptions are too strong to be acceptable without additional evidence. We then point out weaknesses in the arguments that have been provided in lieu of such evidence.
The Need for a Sound Theory of Adaptation for the Simple Genetic Algorithm
The conclusion of a manuscript that I recently submitted for review
The biosphere is replete with organisms that are exquisitely well adapted to the environmental niches they inhabit. Natural sexual evolution has been crucial to the generation of what are arguably the most highly adapted of these organisms — cheetahs, owls, humans etc. A deeply intriguing idea is that we can build adaptation algorithms which, at an abstract level, mimic the behavior of natural sexual evolution, and in doing so, “harness” something of the adaptive power of this incredibly effective process. But what is the abstract level at which natural sexual evolution should be mimicked? In other words Read the rest of this entry »
