Q&A 36.1 — GeneticOperator Configuration & Parameter Tuning

[web3guru888]

GeneticOperator — Q&A Thread

Use this discussion for questions about Phase 36.1 GeneticOperator configuration and parameter tuning.

Common Questions

Q: How to choose between tournament sizes?

• k=2: low selection pressure, good for exploration
• k=5-7: high selection pressure, faster convergence
• Rule of thumb: start with k=3, adjust based on diversity metrics

Q: When to use BLX-α vs single-point crossover?

• BLX-α: real-valued genomes, continuous optimization
• Single-point: binary/integer genomes, combinatorial problems
• Uniform: general purpose, good default for mixed representations

Q: How to set initial mutation rate?

• Goldberg (1989): 1/L where L = genome length
• Eiben & Smith (2015): 1/√L for real-valued
• Use adaptive schedule when fitness landscape is unknown

Related issue: #739
Planning: #738