Evolutionary programming with q-Gaussian mutation for dynamic optimization problems

The use of evolutionary programming algorithms with self-adaptation of the mutation distribution for dynamic optimization problems is investigated in this paper. In the proposed method, the q-Gaussian distribution is employed to generate new candidate solutions by mutation. A real parameter q, which defines the shape of the distribution, is encoded in the chromosome of individuals and is allowed to evolve. Algorithms with self-adapted mutation generated from isotropic and anisotropic distributions are presented. In the experimental study, the q-Gaussian mutation is compared to Gaussian and Cauchy mutation on three dynamic optimization problems.