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Mutation Algorithms for Real-Valued Parameters (GA)

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Genetic Algorithms(GAs) are adaptive heuristic search algorithms that belong to the larger part of evolutionary algorithms. In each generation chromosomes(our solution candidates) undergo mutation and crossover and selection to produce a better population whose chromosomes are nearer to our desired solution. Mutation Operator is a unary operator and it needs only one parent to work on. It does so by selecting a few genes from our selected chromosome (parent) and then by applying the desired mutation operator on them.

In this article, I will be talking about four Mutation Algorithms for real-valued parameters –
1) Uniform Mutation
2) Non-Uniform
3) Boundary Mutation
4) Gaussian Mutation

Here ,we are considering a chromosome with n real numbers (which are our genes) and xi represents a gene and i belongs to [1,n].

Uniform Mutation –

In uniform mutation we select a random gene from our chromosome, let’s say xi and assign a uniform random value to it.
Let xi be within the range [ai,bi] then we assign U(ai,bi) to xi
U(ai,bi) denotes a uniform random number from within the range [ai,bi].

Algorithm –
1.    Select a random integer number i from [1,n]
2.    Set xi to U(ai,bi).

Boundary Mutation –

In boundary mutation we select a random gene from our chromosome , let’s say xi and assign the upper bound or the lower bound of xi to it.
Let xi be within the range [ai,bi] then we assign either ai or bi to xi.
We also select a variable r= U(0,1) ( r is a number between 0 and 1).
If r is greater than or equal to 0.5 , assign bi to xi else assign ai to xi.

Algorithm –
1.    select a random integer number i form [1,n]
2.    select a random real value r from (0,1).
3.    If(r >= 0.5)
             Set xi to bi
       else
             Set xi to ai

Non-Uniform Mutation –

In non-uniform mutation we select a random gene from our chromosome, let’s say xi and assign a non-uniform random value to it.
Let xi be within the range [ai,bi] then we assign a non-uniform random value to it.

We use a function,
f(G)=(r2*(1-G/Gmax))b ,
where r2 = a uniform random number between (0,1)
G = the current generation number
Gmax = the maximum number of generations
b = a shape parameter
Here we select a uniform random number r1 between (0,1).
If r greater than or equal to 0.5 we assign (bi-xi) * f(G) to xi else we assign (ai+ xi) * f(G).

Algorithm –
1.    Select a random integer i within [1,n]
2.    select two random real values r1 ,r2 from (0,1).
3.    If(r1 >= 0.5)
             Set xi to (bi-xi) * f(G)
       else
             Set xi to (ai+ xi) * f(G)

Gaussian Mutation –

Gaussian Mutation makes use of the Gauss error function . It is far more efficient in converging than the previously mentioned algorithms. We select a random gene let’s say xi which belongs to the range [ai,bi]. Let the mutated off spring be x’i. Every variable has a mutation strength operator (σi). We use σ= σi/(bi-ai) as a fixed non-dimensionalized parameter for all n variables;
Thus the offspring x’i is given by —

x’i= xi + √2 * σ * (bi-ai)erf-1(u’i)

Here erf() denotes the Gaussian error function.

erf(y)=2√πy0 e-t2 dt

For calculation ui’ we first select a random value ui from within the range (0,1) and then use the following formula

if(ui>=0.5)
    u’i=2*uL*(1-2*ui)
else
    u’i=2*uR*(2*ui-1)

Again uL and uR are given by the formula

uL=0.5(erf( (ai-xi)(√2(bi-ai)σ) )+1)
uR=0.5(erf( (bi-xi)(√2(bi-ai)σ) )+1)

Last Updated : 11 Mar, 2024
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