Efficient Selection Methods in Evolutionary Algorithms

Abstract

Evolutionary algorithms mimic some elements of the theory of evolution. The survival of individuals and the possibility of producing offspring play a huge role in the process of natural evolution. This process is called a natural selection. This mechanism is responsible for eliminating poor population members and gives the possibility of development for good ones. The evolutionary algorithm - an instance of evolution in the computer environment also requires a selection method, a computer version of natural selection. Widely used standard selection methods applied in evolutionary algorithms are usually derived from nature and prefer competition, randomness and some kind of ``fight'' among individuals. But computer environment is quite different from nature. Computer populations of individuals are usually small, they easily suffer from a premature convergence to local extremes. To avoid this drawback, computer selection methods must have different features than natural selection. In the computer selection methods randomness, fight and competition should be controlled or influenced to operate to the desired extent. Several new methods of individual selection are proposed in this work: several kinds of mixed selection, an interval selection and a taboo selection. Also advantages of passing them into the evolutionary algorithm are shown, using examples based on searching for the maximum α-clique problem and traditional TSP in comparison with traditionally considered as very efficient tournament selection, considered ineffective proportional (roulette) selection and similar classical methods.