Exploring Selection

Introducing selection

In the last chapter, we learned how to evaluate solutions using fitness functions. Remember, fitness functions measure the viability of a solution. Fitness functions are an important aspect of our genetic algorithm, but they mean nothing if they aren’t used. With the population evaluated, and each chromosome assigned a fitness, it’s time to perform a selection.

If you’ve ever been on a team, you understand the importance of having the right people. Whether it be in sports, music, work, or any collaboration, choosing the right people to fill positions and complement other members is vital to the success of the organization. This idea of selecting the right people to fill the right roles directly correlates to selection in genetic algorithms.