Is evolution an efficient algorithm?

Image credit: Derek Gavey (Creative Commons)

Speaker: Professor Per Kristian Lehre, School of Computer Science, University of Birmingham

Computer scientists have since the 1960s taken inspiration from biological principles of natural selection when designing algorithms. So-called evolutionary algorithms have seen practical success in diverse application areas, including scheduling, logistics, drug design, and the automotive industry. In this talk, we ask the question: How fast are evolutionary algorithms? Do they find optimal solutions efficiently, or is it just a form of random search?

About the Speaker

Dr Lehre is a Professor in the School of Computer Science at the University of Birmingham. Professor Lehre's research interests are in theoretical aspects of nature-inspired search heuristics, notably runtime analysis of population-based evolutionary algorithms. He coordinated the 2M euro EU-funded project SAGE which brought together the theory of evolutionary computation and population genetics, and is since 2021 a Turing AI Acceleration Fellow working on the project Rigorous time-complexity analysis of co-evolutionary algorithms.

Venue

University of Worcester, St John’s Campus, Worcester. WR2 6AJ.

Go to Reception in the Edward Elgar building.

Time: 19:30 -21:00

PLEASE NOTE:

The Covid restrictions at the university remain unchanged from last season: “Visitors are advised to not attend the University campus if they: have a new, continuous cough, a high temperature or a loss or change to their sense of smell or taste; or are feeling unwell and have any other symptom which may potentially indicate that they could have Covid”.

Free tea & biscuits (but arrive early!)

This event will not be live-streamed. It is free and open to all. No registration is necessary – just turn up!