Genetic Programming Anyone?

[Namir]

The trick is to be able to dynamically alter the expression tree! It's NOT easy.

The alternative approach that I have used is to apply test regression models between multiple variables with EACH variable having a set of different possible transformations. this approach can test hundreds if not THOUSANDS of regression models. The approach is deterministic as it gives you the same exact results whne repeated.

Genetic Programming (GP for short), variant of Genetic Algorithm, has a stochastic element in it. So repeating calculations, which involve random numbers, most likely give you different results.

Matrices can easily model graphs and trees--both of which contain nodes. The graphs in GP contain nodes that are either constants, variables, operators, and even functions. Dynamically knowing what sub-graph to add and what part of the current graph to remove remains a mystery to me. My goal is to learn and master teh algorithm that dynamically grows and prunes expression trees.

Namir