NAME

       zcs - run a zeroth level classifier system on a terrain

SYNOPSIS

       zcs -help
         or
       zcs    [-specs  string]  [-steps  integer] [-seed integer]
              [-size integer]  [-sinit  double]  [-lrate  double]
              [-drate  double]  [-trate  double]  [-crate double]
              [-mrate double]  [-grate  double]  [-cover  double]
              [-wild double] [-avelen integer] [-inv] [-mag inte-
              ger] [-term string]

DESCRIPTION

       Train a zeroth level classifier system (ZCS) to traverse a
       two-dimensional  terrain,  avoid  obstacles, and find food
       with the implicit bucket brigade algorithm and  a  genetic
       algorithm.   At  the  beginning  of  each  step the ZCS is
       placed at a random location of it's world.   It  interacts
       with  its  environment until it finds food, which yields a
       reward.  The simulation then restarts with the ZCS  placed
       at a new random location.  The progress of the ZCS is con-
       tinuously plotted, while the statistics  on  the  time  to
       find food are calculated and displayed.  At the end of the
       simulation the classifiers that make up the final ZCS  are
       saved to a log file.

OPTIONS

       -specs string
              World specification file.

       -steps integer
              Number of simulated trials.

       -seed integer
              Random seed for initial state.

       -size integer
              Population size.

       -sinit double
              Initial classifier strength.

       -lrate double
              BB learning rate.

       -drate double
              BB discount rate.

       -trate double
              Tax rate for strength reduce.

       -crate double
              GA crossover rate.

       -mrate double
              GA mutation rate.

       -grate double
              GA invocation rate.

       -cover double
              Covering factor.

       -wild double
              Probability of # in cover.

       -avelen integer
              Length of windowed average.

       -inv   Invert all colors?

       -mag integer
              Magnification factor.

       -term string
              How to plot points.

MISCELLANY

       The  file format for the specifications files must contain
       the width and height of the world followed by the  details
       of  the world in ASCII format, where '.' is an empty cell,
       'O' is a rock, and 'F' represent food.   See  any  of  the
       examples  in  the 'data' subdirectory of this distribution
       for more details.

       The log file, 'zcs.log', contains one line per  classifier
       with  the  condition  string,  the  action string, and the
       strength of the classifier.  The classifiers are sorted so
       the the strongest classifiers are printed first.

       The  ASCII  output  of  the program shows the most recent,
       windowed average and the total average for the  number  of
       steps needed to find food.

HINTS

       See  the  author's  book,  "The  Computational  Beauty  of
       Nature," for more details.

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.