CPSCI 307-01: Evolutionary Computation

Homework 12

due: May 1, 2007

For this assignment, you're going to apply XCS to the Woods2 multi-step environment, using Martin Butz's XCS+TS 1.2 software.

Before conducting your experiments, you'll need to modify the source code a bit (again).

1. In the file woodsEnv.h, the first #define entry (line 19) is for WOODS_LENGTH_OF_ONE_ATTRIBUTE. Modify the line so that it reads
       #define WOODS_LENGTH_OF_ONE_ATTRIBUTE 3
2. If you want to add an enemy to this run, modify the #define entry for ENEMY_EXISTS (line 29) so that it reads
       #define ENEMY_EXISTS 1
3. Recompile XCS by issuing the following commands at the bash prompt:
       make clean
       make

The Woods2 environment is located in a file in the Envs subdirectory of the directory containing the XCS system. To execute XCS on the environment, you need to pass it to the program when you invoke it:
    xcs1.2 Envs/Woods2.txt

Do something interesting with XCS and hand in a report describing what you've done. Some observations:

• The Woods1 environment will still work after you've recompiled the system; just remember that in reading it, each environmental attribute now takes up 3 bits (instead of 2, like last time).
• You can have an enemy in the Woods1 environment—you don't have to be using Woods2 to have an enemy.
• If you want to do comparisons of an environment with and without an enemy, you must make the change to woodsEnv.h described above and recompile the system. (Whether or not you want an enemy is compiled in and can't be set as a parameter.)
• Have fun.

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