CEng 713 Evolutionary Computation Fall 2007 Syllabus

Instructor:
Onur Tolga Žehitošlu
Lecture Hours:
Tuesday: 9:15-10:30
Thursday:     9:15-10:30 (75 minutes each, Location G-102)
Web page:
http://www.ceng.metu.edu.tr/courses/ceng713/
Newsgroup:
news://news.ceng.metu.edu.tr:2050/metu.ceng.courses.713 (authenticated/secure)
https://cow.ceng.metu.edu.tr/News/index.php?group=metu.ceng.course.713 (authenticated)

Course description

This course offers basic knowledge about the class of evolutionary methods used in solving computer science problems. This includes genetic algorithms, evolutionary strategies, genetic programming, problem representations, genetic operations, theory of evolutioanry algorithms. Various approaches and applications of evolutioanry computation to combinatorial optimization problems are introduced.

Course Objectives

Evolutionary computation provides approximate solutions tp various scientific and engineering problems in polynomial time. Class of such problems include combinatorial optimization problems, problems in artificial intelligence and machine learning. This course offers in depth knowlegde about which evolutionary methods exists, which problems they can be applied, and how successful they are. Students will implement some of these algorithms and present latest achievements in the field.

Prerequisites

C/C++ programming, basic data structures and algorithms.

Textbooks/References

No specific textbook. Readers and papers will be followed.

Outline

Week Topic
20/9 Introduction
25-27/9 Natural evolution, Evolutionary algorithms basics
1-3/10 Evolutionary search techniques
8-10/10 Genetic algorithms, operators, selection and parameters
15-17/10 Combinatorial optimization problems and genetic algorithms, representations
23-24/10 Theoretical foundations, convergence and design considerations
30-2/11 Genetic programming
7-9/11 Genetic programming
14-16/11 Parallel genetic algorithms
21-23/11 Mid-term (15th)
28-30/11 Other approaches and case studies
5/12-7/12 Other approaches and case studies
12-14/12 Student project presentations
19-21/12 Student project presentations
26-28/12 Student project presentations
3/1 2008 Review

Course Conduct

Assignments
2 short programming assignments (small implementations using GA/GP libraries)
Student project
A recent conference paper and related papers will be read, the experiment will be replicated, comparative results and the survey will be reported and presented in the class.
Mid-term
In class or take home exam.
Final
Paper from student project will be evaluated as the final exam.
Grading
Assignments 20%
Mid-term 25%
Project implemantation 10%
Project presentation 10%
Project referee/participation to other pres. 10%
Project paper 25%