- author = "Juan P Neirotti and Nestor Caticha",
- title = "Statistical mechanics of program systems",
- journal = "Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and General",
- year = "2006",
- volume = "39",
- number = "33",
- pages = "10355--10361",
- month = "18 " # aug,
- keywords = "genetic algorithms, genetic programming, Lisp, SA, PTMC",
-
URL = "
http://www.ncrg.aston.ac.uk/~neirotjp/publications/jpa-2006.pdf",
-
DOI = "
doi:10.1088/0305-4470/39/33/006",
- abstract = "We discuss the collective behaviour of a set of operators and variables that constitute a program and the emergence of meaningful computational properties in the language of statistical mechanics. This is done by appropriately modifying available Monte Carlo methods to deal with hierarchical structures. The study suggests, in analogy with simulated annealing, a method to automatically design programs. Reasonable solutions can be found, at low temperatures, when the method is applied to simple toy problems such as finding an algorithm that determines the roots of a function or one that makes a nonlinear regression. Peaks in the specific heat are interpreted as signalling phase transitions which separate regions where different algorithmic strategies are used to solve the problem.",
-
notes = "PACS numbers: 02.50.Ng, 05.10.-a, 07.05.Mh
detailed balance, ergodic, metropolis, exchange every ten generations, root finding faster than secant method (page 10360), phase transitions, specific heat.",
