Mutation as a Diversity Enhancing Mechanism in Genetic Programming Essay

Mutation as a Diversity Enhancing Mechanism in Genetic Programming - Essay Example Genetic programming (GP) has emerged as a promising instrument in research on machine learning and artificial intelligence. According to Koza and Poli (2005), GP is a "systematic" method of "getting computers to automatically solve a problem" (p. 127). The temptation of creating artificial intelligence and enabling machines to "automatically" perform problem solving has led to the exploration of biologically inspired methods of programming, such as crossovers and mutations. The process of GP involves alterations in computer programs analogous to biological genetic processes. The genetic code in biological science is analogous to syntax trees in computer science, and these trees are altered in a similar fashion as that of gene mutation, deletion, crossover, duplication, etc. performed by nature. The aim of genetic programming is to create a novel and complex program without taking the trouble of predefining its structure. Background In the process of biological evolution, organisms underwent alterations in their genetic makeup, which led to an increase in their structural as well as genetic diversity. Only those who were genetically "fit" were able to survive during the dynamic changes in environmental conditions. Those who lacked the capacity to adapt to these changes went extinct. Thus, according to Charles Darwin, evolution of organisms occurred via natural selection in which nature selected the organisms that were most fit to survive, also known as survival of the fittest. Mutations are the most effective genetic alterations, which enabled the generation of diversity among organisms and ultimately led to their natural selection in the process of evolution. Mutations occur randomly in the genes, and may be natural or induced. These are sudden and heritable changes, and occur at a very small frequency. They, however, lead to beneficial or even harmful changes in an organism. Mutation is nature's way of genera ting diversity among living organisms. The fact that random mutations have led to the generation of successful species is enough to inspire the exploration of similar mechanisms in computer science, in a metaphorical sense. With the help of "mutations" in programming, it may be possible to create novel and successful genetic algorithms or programs with a higher fitness value, which have a high probability of arriving at the solution to a given problem. These may form an integral part of machine learning and help in the synthesis of artificial intelligence. Objective Many studies have explored the role of mutations in genetic programming for the induction of diversity in computer programs. It is hoped that through such a process, it would be possible to create programs with increased fitness and with more efficient problem solving capacities. This paper attempts at analyzing the importance of diversity in genetic programming and the efficiency of mutations in achieving the same. The paper, Mutation as a Diversity Enhancing Mechanism in Genetic Programming (Jackson 2011) is also reviewed and evaluated. II.

The Art of Teaching Life Lessons Effectively Through the Use Of Fables Essay

The Art of Teaching Life Lessons Effectively Through the Use Of Fables and Parables - Essay Example Weather it is to teach a child or a youth fables and parables play an important role. In bible, there are several instances when Jesus uses parables to explain to his disciples and his people the basic principles of life. This paper explains how fables and parables are useful in the art of teaching life lessons effectively. Before we get into the discussion it is essential to define the terms fables and parables and also find the basic difference between the two. Fable (from the Latin fabula, "a telling") puts the emphasis on narrative (and in the medieval and Renaissance periods was often used when speaking of "the plot" of a narrative). Parable (from Greek parabole, a "setting beside") suggests a juxtaposition that compares and contrasts this story with that idea. Allegory (from Greek allos and agoreuein, an "other-speaking") suggests a more expanded use of deceptive and oblique language (Jesusi.com, 2001). According to the Wikipedia encyclopedia a fable is defined as a brief, succinct story, in prose or verse, that uses animals, plants, inanimate objects, or forces of nature which are anthropomorphized (given human qualities), and that illustrates a moral lesson (a "moral"), which may at the end be expressed explicitly in a pithy maxim (Wikipedia, 2007a). In simple terms the fable is generally a tale or a story of animals that come to life and behave as though they were humans. The fable tends to concentrate on animating the inanimate. The only difference between a fable and an ordinary folktale is that a fable always carries a moral (Jesusi.com, 2001). In simple words fables are knowingly fictional, unrealistic fantasy stories with moral that illustrate previously discovered human wisdom (Chopra, 2004). On the other hand a parable does not take the help of animals, plants, inanimate objects, or forces of nature as actors (Wikipedia, 2007a). The parable also tells a simple story. But, whereas fables have a tendency to personify animal characters, the typical parable uses human agents. Parables generally show less interest in the storytelling and more in the analogy they draw between particular instances of human behavior. For instance, in bible Jesus through the parable of good Samaritan proves the true neighborly kindness required in human behavior at large. Preliterate oral cultures are the common roots of parable and fable and both are means of passing down through generations the traditional folk wisdom (Jesusi.com, 2001). Deep spiritual truth is demonstrated using parables that are not previously understood by man (Chopra, 2004). The parables make it easier to set up unexpected connections. The parable is built on characters, images and situations already known by the reader or the listener, allowing the author or the storyteller to set up, unexpected links with new ideas or situations. The art of metaphor rests exactly in the capacity of establishing comparisons between ideas and situations that, at first sight, do not have much in common, thus revealing unexpected truths and new aspects of truths in life (Badenas, 22-40). Similar to poems, fables, parables, and allegories have some hidden truths. These are like imaginative literature or spoken utterance constructed in such a way that their readers or listeners look for meanings hidden beneath