Dakota Reference Manual: crossover_type

| Dakota Reference Manual Version 6.15 Explore and Predict with Confidence

- Main Page
- Related Pages

All Pages
crossover_type

Select a crossover type for JEGA methods

## Specification

Alias: none

Argument(s): none

Default: shuffle_random

Child Keywords:

| Required/Optional | Description of Group | Dakota Keyword | Dakota Keyword Description
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
| Required (Choose One) | Crossover Type (Group 1) | multi_point_binary | Use bit switching for crossover events
multi_point_parameterized_binary | Use bit switching to crossover each design variable
multi_point_real | Perform crossover in real valued genome
shuffle_random | Perform crossover by choosing design variable(s)
| Optional | crossover_rate | Specify the probability of a crossover event

## Description

There are many crossover types available. `multi_point_binary` crossover requires an integer number, N, of crossover points. This crossover type performs a bit switching crossover at N crossover points in the binary encoded genome of two designs. Thus, crossover may occur at any point along a solution chromosome (in the middle of a gene representing a design variable, for example). `multi_point_parameterized_binary` crossover is similar in that it performs a bit switching crossover routine at N crossover points. However, this crossover type performs crossover on each design variable individually. So the individual chromosomes are crossed at N locations. `multi_point_real` crossover performs a variable switching crossover routing at N crossover points in the real real valued genome of two designs. In this scheme, crossover only occurs between design variables (chromosomes). Note that the standard solution chromosome representation in the JEGA algorithm is real encoded and can handle integer or real design variables. For any crossover types that use a binary representation, real variables are converted to long integers by multiplying the real number by 10^6 and then truncating. Note that this assumes a precision of only six decimal places. Discrete variables are represented as integers (indices within a list of possible values) within the algorithm and thus require no special treatment by the binary operators.

The final crossover type is `shuffle_random`. This crossover type performs crossover by choosing design variables at random from a specified number of parents enough times that the requested number of children are produced. For example, consider the case of 3 parents producing 2 children. This operator would go through and for each design variable, select one of the parents as the donor for the child. So it creates a random shuffle of the parent design variable values. The relative numbers of children and parents are controllable to allow for as much mixing as desired. The more parents involved, the less likely that the children will wind up exact duplicates of the parents.

All crossover types take a `crossover_rate`. The crossover rate is used to calculate the number of crossover operations that take place. The number of crossovers is equal to the rate * population_size.