Package org.moeaframework.core

Interface Variation

All Superinterfaces:
Configurable
All Known Subinterfaces:
Mutation
All Known Implementing Classes:
AbstractCompoundVariation, AdaptiveMetropolis, AdaptiveMultimethodVariation, Add, BitFlip, CompoundMutation, CompoundVariation, DifferentialEvolutionVariation, GrammarCrossover, GrammarMutation, HUX, Insertion, MultiParentVariation, OnePointCrossover, PCX, PM, PMX, PointMutation, Remove, Replace, SBX, SelfAdaptiveNormalVariation, SPX, SSX, SubtreeCrossover, Swap, TwoPointCrossover, TypeSafeCrossover, TypeSafeMutation, UM, UNDX, UniformCrossover
public interface Variation extends Configurable
Interface for variation operators. Variation operators manipulate one or more existing solutions, called parents, to produce one or more new solutions, called children or offspring.

A variation operator is type-safe if it checks variable types at runtime and operates only on those variables it supports. Unsupported variables must be left unmodified. A type-safe variation operator must ensure casts are valid and never throw a ClassCastException. A type-safe variation class should indicate this fact by stating "This variation operator is type-safe" in the class comments.

Mixed-type encodings are supported by using type-safe variation operators. Variation operators for each type in the encoding are applied sequentially, each operating on only those variables with the correct type.

  • Method Summary

    Modifier and Type
    Method
    Description
    Solution[]
    evolve(Solution[] parents)
    Evolves one or more parent solutions (specified by getArity) and produces one or more child solutions.
    int
    getArity()
    Returns the number of solutions that must be supplied to the evolve method.
    String
    getName()
    Returns the name of this variation operator.

    Methods inherited from interface org.moeaframework.core.configuration.Configurable

    applyConfiguration, getConfiguration

  • Method Details

    • getName

      String getName()
      Returns the name of this variation operator. This name should also be used as the prefix for any parameters. As such, the name should only contain alphanumeric characters, avoid using whitespace and other symbols.
      Returns:
      the name of this variation operator

    • getArity

      int getArity()
      Returns the number of solutions that must be supplied to the evolve method.
      Returns:
      the number of solutions that must be supplied to the evolve method

    • evolve

      Solution[] evolve(Solution[] parents)
      Evolves one or more parent solutions (specified by getArity) and produces one or more child solutions. By contract, the parents must not be modified. The copy constructor should be used to create copies of the parents with these copies subsequently modified.
      Parameters:
      parents - the array of parent solutions
      Returns:
      an array of child solutions
      Throws:
      IllegalArgumentException - if an incorrect number of parents was supplied (parents.length != getArity())