GeneticOperator


1   /*
2    * This file is part of JGAP.
3    *
4    * JGAP offers a dual license model containing the LGPL as well as the MPL.
5    *
6    * For licencing information please see the file license.txt included with JGAP
7    * or have a look at the top of class org.jgap.Chromosome which representatively
8    * includes the JGAP license policy applicable for any file delivered with JGAP.
9    */
10  package org.jgap;
11  
12  import java.util.List  ;
13  
14  /**
15   * A GeneticOperator represents an operation that takes place on
16   * a population of Chromosomes during the evolution process. Examples
17   * of genetic operators include reproduction, crossover, and mutation.
18   * This interface contains only one method--operate()--which is responsible
19   * for performing the genetic operation on the current population of
20   * Chromosomes.
21   *
22   * @author Neil Rotstan
23   * @author Klaus Meffert
24   * @since 1.0
25   */
26  public interface GeneticOperator
27      extends java.io.Serializable   {
28  
29    /** String containing the CVS revision. Read out via reflection!*/
30    final static String   CVS_REVISION = "$Revision: 1.12 $";
31  
32    /**
33     * The operate method will be invoked on each of the genetic operators
34     * referenced by the current Configuration object during the evolution
35     * phase. Operators are given an opportunity to run in the order that
36     * they are added to the Configuration. Implementations of this method
37     * may reference the population of Chromosomes as it was at the beginning
38     * of the evolutionary phase and/or they may instead reference the
39     * candidate Chromosomes, which are the results of prior genetic operators.
40     * In either case, only Chromosomes added to the list of candidate
41     * chromosomes will be considered for natural selection.<p>
42     * The parameters a_population and a_candidateChromosomes may refer to the same
43     * list of chromosomes for performance issues. Thus would mean an in-place
44     * modification. In ealier JGAP versions it was suggested never modifying the
45     * input population. Please refer to implementations delivered with JGAP to
46     * get a picture of the way non-susceptible in-place modifications are
47     * possible. If wrongly done, ConcurrentModificationException could be risen
48     * when accessing the population by an iterator in a GeneticOperator.
49     * Or, if population.getChromosomes().size() was used inside a loop where
50     * chromosomes were added to the input population this could lead to an
51     * infinite loop in worst case.
52     *
53     * @param a_population the population of chromosomes from the current
54     * evolution prior to exposure to any genetic operators. Chromosomes in this
55     * array should not be modified. Please, notice, that the call in
56     * Genotype.evolve() to the implementations of GeneticOperator overgoes this
57     * due to performance issues
58     * @param a_candidateChromosomes the pool of chromosomes that have been
59     * selected for the next evolved population
60     *
61     * @author Neil Rotstan
62     * @author Klaus Meffert
63     * @since 2.0 (earlier versions referenced the Configuration object)
64     */
65    public void operate(final Population a_population,
66                        final List   a_candidateChromosomes);
67  }
68
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