Talk:Evolutionary algorithm: Difference between revisions

:Dawkins explains the difficulty of this model and clarifies it's purpose (full quote from Wikipedia below). The purpose of the algorithm is to model cumulative selection. He goes on to state that evolution has no "long-distance target" and that is "absurd notion" - giving the example of humans being the final target. As explained by Rdm, this is a search algorithm. That means it gets to its target with absolute certainty, every time. Only the path to the target varies. So it's not trying to properly model evolutionary process but it aims to show how significant change is possible incrementally (cumulatively) not by "blind chance" in a single iteration.

:"Although the monkey/Shakespeare model is useful for explaining the distinction between single-step selection and cumulative selection, it is misleading in important ways. One of these is that, in each generation of selective 'breeding', the mutant 'progeny' phrases were judged according to the criterion of resemblance to a distant ideal target, the phrase METHINKS IT IS LIKE A WEASEL. Life isn't like that. Evolution has no long-term goal. There is no long-distance target, no final perfection to serve as a criterion for selection, although human vanity cherishes the absurd notion that our species is the final goal of evolution. In real life, the criterion for selection is always short-term, either simple survival or, more generally, reproductive success." - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weasel_program - --[[User:Davidj|Davidj]] 18:15, 1 October 2011 (UTC)

 

==Adherence to similarly named variables/functions?==