CPSCI 307-01: Evolutionary Computation

Spring 2007

10:30–11:45 a.m. T/R (Library 005)

Dr. Brian Rosmaita

Office: 01.011 Ferry Building

Office Hours: See the class homepage.


Course and Reading Schedule

In the schedule below, the exam dates are definite; the readings are approximate. Any changes will be announced in class and on the class homepage. It is your responsibility to be aware of any changes made to this schedule.

NOTE: the way this schedule works is that you are expected to have read the stuff listed for each day before you show up in class on that day.

Date Topic and Reading
January 16 Introduction to the course; course requirements and procedures. Film: Genetic Programming IV: Routine human-competitive machine intelligence;
Recommended: Keats: “John Koza Has Built an Invention Machine
Recommended: Teuscher, “Biologically Uninspired Computer Science
18 The fundamental thesis of artificial intelligence. Newell and Simon, “Computer Science as Empirical Inquiry
Recommended: Nilsson, “The Physical Symbol System Hypothesis: Status and Prospects
23 Classical evolutionary theory. Darwin, ‘Historical Sketch’, Introduction, chapters 1 and 2
25 Natural selection. Darwin, chapters 3, 4, 5
30 Difficulties for the theory. Darwin, chapters 6, 9, 10
Recommended: Appenzeller, “Test Tube Evolution Catches Time in a Bottle
February 1 Conclusion. Darwin, chapters 13 and 14
6 exam due at the beginning of class
Evolutionary algorithms. Eiben & Smith, chapters 1 and 2
Recommended: Colby: “Introduction to Evolutionary Biology
8 Holland, Adaptation in Natural and Artificial Systems, chapter 1
13 Genetic algorithms. Eiben & Smith, chapter 3
15
20 Evolution strategies. Eiben & Smith, chapter 4
22
27 Evolutionary programming. Eiben & Smith, chapter 5
March 1 Genetic programming. Eiben & Smith, chapter 6
6 Banzhaf, “Genetic Programming and Biology” (handout)
Recommended: Orgel, “Selection in vitro
8 (away at SIGCSE 2007)
exam due at 3:30 p.m.
10-25 Spring Break
27 Theory. Eiben & Smith, chapter 11
29
April 3 Learning Classifier Systems. Eiben & Smith, sections 7.1-7.3; Holland et. al., “What is a Learning Classifier System” (handout)
5 Eiben & Smith, section 7.4 and Wilson, “ZCS: A zeroth level classifier system
10 Eiben & Smith, sections 7.5-7.7
Recommended: Nagel, “What is it like to be a bat?
12 Mitchell, “Reinforcement Learning” (handout)
17 Wilson, “Generalization in the XCS Classifier System
19 Butz & Wilson, “An Algorithmic Description of XCS
24 Eiben & Smith, chapter 14
26
May 1 Eiben & Smith, chapter 15
3 Recommended: Sartre, “Existentialism is a Humanism
8 (Tuesday)
exam due at 2:00 p.m.
Class presentations, 2:00—5:00 p.m.

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Brian J. Rosmaita <contact me>
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