Chapter 3 . Applications of Genetic Algorithms
43
applied to this effort. Self-designing computer programs can be used to create
self-designing ecosystems. The work of Holland (1995) and Hraber et al. (1997)
are in essence self-designing systems.
Reservoir
a _d b a
abbac
c b c
Tags
a
b
CondlUons
B
Trading Reaource
0
UptakeMask 11 10 11 11 I
Genome = 1 abbac ccd &ab 1 bba c cddbb 1 a 1 1011 1
Tags
~ luTradlng
Resource
ccd
aab
Figure 3.4. The structure of an Echo agent. Each agent consists of a gnome and
a resource reservoir. The genome has r+ 7 genes, where r is the number of
resources in the world. Six of these, the tags and the conditions, are composed of
variable-Iength strings or resources (Le., of the lower case letters that represent
resources). Tags are visible to other agents. Conditions and other properties are
not. Reproduced with permission from Artificial Life (NOT YET OBT AINED).
3.5
Predicting the Future with Genetic Aigorithms
Sustainability has become the ultimate goal of many ecological management
practices in the 21" century. Regardless of what we are attempting to sustain it