ABSTRACT
The idea of evolutionary algorithms is to take direct inspiration from the theory of natural selection, the principle asserted by Charles Darwin in 1838 in his theory of evolution. According to Darwin, species evolve based on their environment. The better adapted an individual is, the more likely it is to survive. Surviving individuals reproduce and give birth to other individuals, passing on the traits that allowed them to survive. The evolutionary algorithm can also use genetic mutations, just like in real life. From time to time, one of the children “mutates,” inverting two cities. This little operation allows the algorithm to find good solutions faster, as long as these mutations remain rare. This generates solutions that are not consistent with the parents: if the result is catastrophic, the mutation will not be kept. In every instance, there is always a human who tells the computer how to handle the problem.
