NAME

       gabump - find a bump's peak with a genetic algorithm

SYNOPSIS

       gabump -help
         or
       gabump [-target  double]  [-var  double]  [-size  integer]
              [-len  integer]  [-gens  integer]  [-seed  integer]
              [-crate double] [-mrate double]

DESCRIPTION

       Use  a  genetic algorithm to find the maximum of a single-
       humped function that is centered at a user-specified loca-
       tion.  This program serves as an example of how GAs can be
       used to optimize functions which  take  a  floating  point
       argument.  Reproduction  of  strings entails crossover and
       mutation with strings being selected based on fitness.

OPTIONS

       -target double
              Target value for function.

       -var double
              Variance of bump.

       -size integer
              Population size.

       -len integer
              DNA length.

       -gens integer
              Number of generations.

       -seed integer
              Random seed.

       -crate double
              Crossover rate.

       -mrate double
              Mutation rate.

MISCELLANY

       The bit strings are converted to  floating  point  numbers
       with  the  formula  (8  *  int(string)  / 2^len - 4) where
       int(string) is the  integer  value  of  a  binary  string.
       Thus, all numbers are forced to be between -4 and 4.

       A  more  sophisticated GA encoding would use Gray codes to
       represent the floating point numbers  which  arguably  are
       better behaved under mutation.

BUGS

       No  sanity  checks  are performed to make sure that any of
       the options make sense.

AUTHOR

       Copyright (c) 1997, Gary William Flake.

       Permission granted for any use according to  the  standard
       GNU ``copyleft'' agreement provided that the author's com-
       ments are neither modified nor removed.   No  warranty  is
       given or implied.