Note: this is a dynamic schedule, it will almost definitely change as the semester progresses, so make sure to regularly check for changes!
| Week | Event | Date | Topic | Read |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Lecture 1 | Monday 8/16 | Course Logistics | Syllabus |
| Lecture 2 | Wednesday 8/18 | Introduction to Heuristic Search Algorithms | Chapter 1 | |
| Lecture 3 | Friday 8/20 | Introduction to Evolutionary Computing& Assignment Series 1 | Chapter 2 | |
| Week 2 | Assignment 0 | Monday 8/23 | Assignment Environment Setup | |
| Lecture 4 | Monday 8/23 | Introduction to Statistical Analysis of Stochastic Algorithms | §9.1,9.2 | |
| Lecture 5 | Wednesday 8/25 | Review of Genetics and Neo-Darwinian Evolution Theory | Chapter 2 | |
| Lecture 6 | Friday 8/27 | EA components, operation, and performance measures | Chapter 3 | |
| TA Lab Hours | Friday 8/27 | 1-5pm in Brown-Kopel 2174 | ||
| Assignment 1a | Sunday 8/29 | Analyzing Stochastic Algorithms | ||
| Week 3 | Lecture 7 | Monday 8/30 | EA components, operation, and performance measures continued | Section 3.4.2 |
| Lecture 8 | Wednesday 9/1 | Representation & Variation | Chapter 4 | |
| Lecture 9 | Friday 9/3 | Permutation Recombination Operators | Section 4.5.2 | |
| 15th Class Day | Friday 9/3 | Last day to drop with no grade assignment | ||
| Week 4 | Labor Day | Monday 9/6 | No class | |
| Lecture 10 | Wednesday 9/8 | Population models, parent selection, and survivor selection | Chapter 5 | |
| Lecture 11 | Friday 9/10 | Selection, statistical Analysis for EAs, termination, behavioral observables | Sections 5.2, 3.2.8, 9.1, 9.2 | |
| TA Lab Hours | Friday 9/10 | 1-5pm in Brown-Kopel 2174 | ||
| Assignment 1b | Sunday 9/12 | Implementing Evolutionary Algorithms | ||
| Week 5 | Lecture 12 | Monday 9/13 | Statistical analysis for EAs, survivor selection, termination | Sections 3.2.8, 5.3, 9.1, 9.2, |
| Career Fair | Wednesday 9/15 | Samuel Ginn College of Engineering In-Person Career Fair | ||
| Lecture 13 | Wednesday 9/15 | Constraint Handling | Chapter 13 | |
| Exam 1 | Friday 9/17 | [Shelby 2210] Exam covering all material covered through Lecture 13 | Chapters 1-5 (not sections 4.4.2, 4.6 nor 5.5), Section 6.1, Chapters 7 & 8, Sections 9.1 & 9.2, and Chapter 13 | |
| Week 6 | Lecture 14 | Monday 9/20 | Evolutionary Strategies & Parameter Control | §4.4.2,6.2, Chapter 8 |
| Lecture 15 | Wednesday 9/22 | Permutation Recombination Operators | Sections 3.2.5, 4.5 | |
| Career Fair | Thursday 9/23 | Samuel Ginn College of Engineering Virtual Career Fair | ||
| Lecture 16 | Friday 9/24 | |||
| TA Lab Hours | Friday 9/24 | 1-5pm in Brown-Kopel 2174 | ||
| Assignment 1c | Sunday 9/26 | Constraint Satisfaction and Self-Adaptation | ||
| Week 7 | Lecture 17 | Monday 9/27 | Parameter Tuning & Control | Chapters 7 & 8 |
| Lecture 18 | Wednesday 9/29 | Parameter Tuning & Control | Chapters 7 & 8 | |
| Lecture 19 | Friday 10/1 | Multi-Objective Evolutionary Algorithms (MOEAs) | Chapter 12 | |
| Week 8 | Lecture 20 | Monday 10/4 | Memetic EAs, Lamarckianism, Baldwin Effect | Chapter 10 |
| Mid-Semester | Tuesday 10/5 | Mid-Semester - 36th Class Day | ||
| Lecture 21 | Wednesday 10/6 | Evolutionary Programming | Section 6.3 | |
| TA Lab Hours | Wednesday 10/6 | 1-5pm in Brown-Kopel 2174 | ||
| Fall Break | Friday 10/8 | No class | ||
| Assignment 1d | Sunday 10/10 | Multi-Objective Evolutionary Algorithms | ||
| Week 9 | Lecture 22 | Monday 10/11 | Multimodal problems and spatial distribution | §5.5 |
| Lecture 23 | Wednesday 10/13 | Genetic Programming: The Movie | Section 6.4 | |
| Lecture 24 | Friday 10/15 | Genetic Programming: The Movie | Section 6.4 | |
| Week 10 | Lecture 25 | Monday 10/18 | Genetic Programming continued | Sections 4.6, 6.4 |
| Lecture 26 | Wednesday 10/20 | |||
| Lecture 27 | Friday 10/22 | Hyper-heuristics: Inverse Diffusion case study & Self-Configuring Crossover | slides on class website | |
| TA Lab Hours | Friday 10/22 | 1-5pm in Brown-Kopel 2174 | ||
| Assignment 2a | Sunday 10/24 | Tree Representations | ||
| Week 11 | Lecture 28 | Monday 10/25 | GP Varieties & GPac Controller Implementation | slides on class website |
| Lecture 29 | Wednesday 10/27 | Hyper-heuristics | ||
| Exam 2 | Friday 10/29 | [Shelby 2210] Exam covering all material covered through Lecture 29 | Chapters 1-5, Sections 6.1-6.5, Chapters 7 & 8, Sections 9.1 & 9.2, Chapters 10, 12 & 13 | |
| Week 12 | Lecture 30 | Monday 11/1 | ||
| Lecture 31 | Wednesday 11/3 | GA Schema Theory (Part 1) | §16.1 | |
| Lecture 32 | Friday 11/5 | GA Schema Theory (Part 2) | §16.1 | |
| TA Lab Hours (on request only) | Friday 11/5 | 1-5pm in Brown-Kopel 2174 | ||
| Assignment 2b | Sunday 11/7 | Genetic Programming | ||
| Week 13 | Lecture 33 | Monday 11/8 | Learning Classifier Systems | §6.5 |
| Lecture 34 | Wednesday 11/10 | Hyper-heuristics | ||
| Lecture 35 | Friday 11/12 | Hyper-heuristics | ||
| Week 14 | Lecture 36 | Monday 11/15 | Nate's SuCo Lecture | |
| Lecture 37 | Wednesday 11/17 | Braden's Directed Graph Lecture | ||
| Lecture 38 | Friday 11/19 | Set of videos to watch on your own time | ||
| Last Withdraw Day | Friday 11/19 | Last Day to Withdraw | ||
| TA Lab Hours (on request only) | Friday 11/19 | 1-5pm in Brown-Kopel 2174 | ||
| Week 15 | No class | Monday 11/22 | Thanksgiving Break | |
| No class | Wednesday 11/24 | Thanksgiving Break | ||
| No class | Friday 11/26 | Thanksgiving Break | ||
| Assignment 2c | Sunday 11/28 | Genetic Programming & Coevolution | ||
| Week 16 | Lecture 39 | Monday 11/29 | Interactive EAs | Chapter 14 |
| Exam 3 | Wednesday 12/1 | Exam covering all material covered through Lecture 39 | Chapters 1-5, Sections 6.1-6.5, Chapters 7 & 8, Sections 9.1 & 9.2, Chapters 10, 12-15, Section 16.1 | |
| Lecture 40 | Friday 12/3 | Final Exam Review | Chapters 1-5, Sections 6.1-6.5, Chapters 7 & 8, Sections 9.1 & 9.2, Chapters 10, 12-15, Section 16.1 | |
| Week 17 | Final Exam | Monday 12/6 12:00-2:30pm | Comprehensive Exam covering all course material (regular class room) | Chapters 1-5, Sections 6.1-6.5, Chapters 7 & 8, Sections 9.1 & 9.2, Chapters 10, 12-15, Section 16.1 |