skip to main content
article
Free Access

GATutor: a graphical tutorial system for genetic algorithms

Authors Info & Claims
Published:12 March 1994Publication History
Skip Abstract Section

Abstract

In this paper we discuss the design and implementation of GATutor, a graphical tutorial system for genetic algorithms (GA). The X Window/Motif system provides powerful tools for the development of a user interfaces with a familiar feel and look. We implemented the Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP) and the Set Covering Problem (SCP) as two example GA problems in the tutorial. The TSP problem uses an order-based chromosome representation (permutation of n objects), while the SCP uses bit strings. The user has numerous buttons to select the GA parameters. These include (a) type of initial population: random or from a file, (b) mode: steady-state or generational, (c) population size, (d) maximum number of generations or trials, (e) generation gap, (f) selection mode, (g) selection bias, (h) selection of the crossover operation from a choice of several possibilities, (i) mutation method, (j) mutation rate, (k) replacement method, (l), elitism, etc. The user has the ability to do astep by step execution or to do a continuous run. The screen layout provides visual representation of the chromosomes in the population with the ability to scroll. This gives the user the option of varying one or two GA parameters to visually see the effect on the algorithm. One of most important features of this tutorial is the set of help screens that explain, with examples, all of the options for each of the GA parameters. This package has already been very useful for teaching the fundamental features of GAs in many different courses, and it has been very valuable in our GA research projects.

References

  1. 1 A.L. Corcoran and R.L. Wainwright, "LibGA: A Userfriendly Workbench for Order-based Genetic Algorithm Research", Proceedings of the 1993 ACM/StGAPP Symposium on Applied Computing, pp. 111-118, 1993, ACM Press. Google ScholarGoogle ScholarDigital LibraryDigital Library
  2. 2 L. Davis, ed., Handbook of Genetic Algorithms, Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1991.Google ScholarGoogle Scholar
  3. 3 J.M. Fritz, "Hypercard Applications for Teaching information Systems", Proceedings of the Twenty- Second Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education, SIGCSE Bulletin Volume 23, Number 1, March, 1991, pp. 55-61. Google ScholarGoogle ScholarDigital LibraryDigital Library
  4. 4 D.E. Goldberg, Genetic Algorithms in Search, Optimization, and Machine Learning, Addison-Wesley, 1989. Google ScholarGoogle ScholarDigital LibraryDigital Library
  5. 5 L.R. Knight and R.L. Wainwright, "HYPERGEN: A Dis tributed Genetic Algorithm on a Hypercube", Proceedings of the 1992 Scalable High Performance Computing Conference, SHPCC'92, Williamsburg, Va., April 26-29, 1992.Google ScholarGoogle ScholarCross RefCross Ref
  6. 6 B.L. Kurtz, R.L. Oliver and E.M. Collins, "The Design, Implementation, and Use of DSTutor: A Tutorial System for Denotational Semantics", Proceedings of the Twenty-Second Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education, SIGCSE Bulletin Volume 23, Number 1, March, 1991, pp. 169-177. Google ScholarGoogle ScholarDigital LibraryDigital Library
  7. 7 B.L. Lira and R. Hunter, "DBTooI: A Graphical Database Design Tool for an Introductory Database Course", Proceedings of the Twenty-Third Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education, SIGCSE Bulletin Volume 24, Number 1, March, 1992, pp. 24- 27. Google ScholarGoogle ScholarDigital LibraryDigital Library
  8. 8 M. Newsome and C.M. Pancake, "A Graphical Computer Simulator for Systems Programming Courses", Proceedings of the Twenty-Third Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education, SIGCSE Bulletin Volume 24, Number 1, March, 1992, pp. 157- 162. Google ScholarGoogle ScholarDigital LibraryDigital Library
  9. 9 G. Rawling, ed., Foundations of Genetic Algorithms, Morgan Kaufmann Publishers, 1991. Google ScholarGoogle ScholarDigital LibraryDigital Library
  10. 10 D.A. Sekharan and R.L. Wainwright, "Manipulating Subpopulations of Feasible and Infeasible Solutions in Genetic Algorithms", Proceedings of the 1993 ACM/SIGAPP Symposium on Applied Computing, pp. 118-125, 1993, ACM Press. Google ScholarGoogle ScholarDigital LibraryDigital Library
  11. 11 D. Schweitzer, "Designing Interactive Visualization Tools for the Graphics Classroom", Proceedings of the Twenty-Third Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education, SIGCSE Bulletin Volume 24, Number 1, March, 1992, pp. 299-303. Google ScholarGoogle ScholarDigital LibraryDigital Library

Index Terms

  1. GATutor: a graphical tutorial system for genetic algorithms

                  Recommendations

                  Comments

                  Login options

                  Check if you have access through your login credentials or your institution to get full access on this article.

                  Sign in

                  Full Access

                  • Published in

                    cover image ACM SIGCSE Bulletin
                    ACM SIGCSE Bulletin  Volume 26, Issue 1
                    March 1994
                    410 pages
                    ISSN:0097-8418
                    DOI:10.1145/191033
                    Issue’s Table of Contents
                    • cover image ACM Conferences
                      SIGCSE '94: Proceedings of the twenty-fifth SIGCSE symposium on Computer science education
                      March 1994
                      414 pages
                      ISBN:0897916468
                      DOI:10.1145/191029

                    Copyright © 1994 ACM

                    Publisher

                    Association for Computing Machinery

                    New York, NY, United States

                    Publication History

                    • Published: 12 March 1994

                    Check for updates

                    Qualifiers

                    • article

                  PDF Format

                  View or Download as a PDF file.

                  PDF

                  eReader

                  View online with eReader.

                  eReader
                  About Cookies On This Site

                  We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website.

                  Learn more

                  Got it!