Invitation to Participate in
the 5th WOMA
The next international Workshop on Memetic Algorithms (WOMA-V), will be the fifth in a series of workshops dedicated exclusively to Memetic Algorithms and will take place in conjunction with PPSN 2004 in Birmingham UK on Saturday 18 September 2004. The WOMA series is a forum where the international community of researchers, practitioners and vendors, that work on aspects related to memetic algorithms, can engage in fruitful discussions, learning, research and where they can contribute to the advancement of this field. In previous occasions WOMA was co-located with GECCO 2000 in Las Vegas-USA, GECCO 2001 in San Francisco-USA, PPSN VII in Granada-Spain and with GECCO 2003 in Chicago-USA.
Motivation:
Memetic algorithms (MAs) are evolutionary algorithms (EAs) that apply a separate local search process to refine individuals (e.g. improve their fitness by hill-climbing). These methods are inspired by models of adaptation in natural systems that combine evolutionary adaptation of populations of individuals with individual learning within a lifetime. Additionally, MAs are inspired by Richard Dawkin's concept of a meme, which represents a unit of cultural evolution that can exhibit local refinement. Thus a memetic model of adaptation exhibits the plasticity of individuals that a strictly genetic model fails to capture. Under different contexts and situations, MAs are also known as hybrid EAs, genetic local searchers, Baldwinian EAs, Lamarkian EAs, etc.
From an optimization point of view, MAs are hybrid EAs that combine global and local search by using an EA to perform exploration while the local search method performs exploitation. Combining global and local search is a strategy used by many successful optimization approaches, and MAs have in fact been recognized as a powerful algorithmic paradigm for evolutionary computing. In particular, the relative advantage of MAs over EAs is quite consistent on complex search spaces.
It is the goal of this new edition of the workshop to push forward our understanding of both the theory and the deployment of MA by engaging in a scholarly dialog with some of the world experts on this field. The format of WOMA this year will be based around a panel of invited experts on Evolutionary-Local Search hybrid algorithms and we are very pleased to confirm the participation in the panel of:
(some other panel members confirmations are expected)
Our intentions is to give each panel member between 10 and 15 minutes to informally address the audience on any topic he/she considers relevant and important with regards to these hybrid algorithms, the theory behind them and their application to challenging domains. The panel will be moderated by one of the workshop co-chairs. Once each panel member has had the opportunity to present his/her views we will open the floor in order that the audience can engage with the panel in open and scholarly discussions. It is our intention to have a rich and lively workshop made up of a variety of views and perspectives with regards to the state-of-the-art in research/applications on memetic evolutionary algorithms.
We invite you to bring along your
ideas/issues/questions/insights on any of the following themes (but not
limited to):
* Memetic algorithms applications,
new challenging domains for MAs.
* Theoretical tools and methods likely to be useful for
understanding the behaviour, and/or predicting the performacne of MAs, e.g.,
Kolmogorov, computational and PLS complexity issues, convergence proofs, landscape analysis or any other relevant analytical models and techniques.
* Theoretical/Experimental comparisons/integration with other soft
techniques.
* Particular issues arising from the application of MAs to Multiobjective
optimisation, discrete optimisation, continuous optimisation, mixed domains,
non-stationary problems.
* Frameworks for describing and classifying Mas, Practical
guidelines to combine local search and Eas, Scalability of Mas,
New MA architectures.
* etc
William E. Hart
Optimization/Uncertainty Estimation Dept (9211), MS 1110
P.O. Box 5800, Sandia National Labs
Albuquerque, NM 87185-1110
Phone: (505) 844-2217
FAX: (505) 845-7442
Email: wehart@sandia.gov
Natalio Krasnogor
Automated Scheduling, Optimisation and Planning Research Group.
School of Computer Science and Information Technology.
University of Nottingham.
University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD.
United Kingdom.
Phone: (44) 115 9513477
Email: Natalio.Krasnogor@nottingham.ac.uk
Jim E. Smith
Intelligent Computer Systems Centre
Faculty of Computer Studies and Mathematics
University of the West of England
Coldarbour Lane,
Bristol, BS16 1QY
United Kingdom.
Phone: +44 (0) 117 3443161
FAX : +44 (0) 117 9750416
Email: James.Smith@uwe.ac.uk
For details, inquiries, etc about the Fourth Memetic Algorithms Workshop don't hesitate to contact any of the organizers!