Waptia - genetic optimization algorithm 1.0.0

Waptia - genetic optimization algorithm

Copyright © 2009, Wojciech Golebiowski

All rights reserved.

Author: Wojciech Golebiowski (w_golebiowski (at) tlen.pl)

Name: Waptia - genetic optimization algorithm

Type: library

LabVIEW version: 8.2

Distribution:

This code was downloaded from:

http://www.lavag.org

Description:

Waptia is general genetic optimization algorithm - it tries to maximize user supplied function of N variables (so called "Fitness Function"). Function is given as strictly typed VI reference. So the optimization goal may be described as: find such set of N numbers for which Fitness Function value is highest.

Waptia is LabVIEW implementation of quite well known genetic optimization algorithm Pikaia by Paul Charbonneau & Barry Knapp developed in Fortran-77. For more information on Pikaia and some background informatio on genetic algorithms visit: http://www.hao.ucar....kaia/pikaia.php

Pikaia name comes from lancelet-like creature which lived ages ago in Cambrian sea and waptia was another Cambrian being. Original Pikaia was developed for educational purposes, but it grew up and became widely used routine. Waptia is almost 1:1 conversion of Pikaia code (which is public domain) to LabVIEW - parts of original Fortran code are placed in related VIs - with some cosmetic modifications and improvements. Although Waptia already does real job I treat this code as starting point for further development to create sophisticated, but still easy to use genetic algorithm.

Here are Waptia's core features:

- decimal genotype encoding

- two-point crossover operator

- optional dynamically adjustable mutation rate

- optional "creep" (smoothly changing) mutation mode

- three possible reproduction plans

- elitism

- optionally stops optimization when fitness criterion is satisfied

- optimization progress may be traced on-line with notifiers

Usage is very simple - just put Waptia.vi on block diagram and provide number of independent variables and fitness function VI reference (which may be created using included template). There is of course a lot of parameters to tune, but default set usually does good job.

Installation

Preferably install VIP package with VI Package Manager

Alternatively extract ZIP to User.lib.

There are no external dependencies.

Documentation

Documentation is provided in "Waptia docs.rtf" file. It's just a description of all controls of Waptia.vi with some background information. Same information may be found in context help. Information on how to write your own fitness function is provided as comments in "Fitness Function Template.vit"

If you want to understand how Waptia works, whole code is extensively commented.

Examples

There is one quite complex example (but I hope that still understandable) located in _examples folder - "multimodal optimise.vi"

If you want any support on general or specifically genetic optimization problems, just contact me.

License (BSD):

Copyright © 2009 Wojciech Golebiowski

All rights reserved.

Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without

modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions

are met:

1. Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright

notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.

2. Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright

notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the

documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution.

3. The name of the author may not be used to endorse or promote products

derived from this software without specific prior written permission.

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