Re: design: purposeful or random?

HavenerJP@aol.com
Fri, 28 Feb 1997 18:59:43 -0500 (EST)

You comments on information content are right on track by my estimation.
IN Genetic Algorithms the information cotent would be equivalent to the
scoring achieved in the objective function. Only individuals who score
highly are allowed to "reproduce." Those who score poorly are "killed".
Thus the system exponentially concentrates on solutions (individuals)
with high scores. The randomness of the overall population is decreased
and would actually end up being zero (no variation) except for the action
of mutation that continually assures some diversity.

Information can not be measured on a single observation.
Information is always contained in differences, therfore in
comparison to other observations. Thus the concept of evolution
does fight against randomness because the primary mechanism
"selection and crossover" tend to reduce the randomness and create
uniformity (replication of sucessful patterns.) Only mutation works in
agreement with reduction of order and thus increased entropy.

John Havener