Hendrik Richter

Hendrik Richter, Frank Neumann

Graphs with diverse structural characteristics play a central role in modelling and optimization tasks. The ability to generate different types of graphs that exhibit shared properties is likewise essential for algorithm selection and configuration. However, constructing graphs that preserve high-level properties across a broad range of graph classes remains a challenging problem. We present a novel evolutionary approach to evolve graphs based on the Laplacian graph spectra descriptor. This descriptor can be used as part of a fitness function to evaluate graphs according to their desired high-level properties. Our evolutionary algorithm evolves graphs towards this descriptor in order to obtain graphs having properties that are consistent with it but are different from each other in terms of non-spectral graph metrics, such as path length, clustering coefficient and betweenness centrality. Our experimental results show that our approach is successful for different classes of graphs and a wide range of Laplacian graph spectra.

Hendrik Richter

Color symmetry implies that the colors of geometrical objects are assigned according to their symmetry properties. It is defined by associating the elements of the symmetry group with a color permutation. I use this concept for generative art and apply symmetry-consistent color distortions to images of paintings by Johannes Vermeer. The color permutations are realized as mappings of the HSV color space onto itself.

Hendrik Richter

Color symmetry is an extension of symmetry imposed by isometric transformations and means that the colors of geometrical objects are assigned according to the symmetry properties of the objects. A color symmetry permutes the coloring of the objects consistently with their symmetry group. We apply this concept to bio-inspired generative art. Therefore, we interpret the geometrical objects as motifs that may repeat themselves with a symmetry-consistent coloring. The motifs are obtained by design principles from stigmergy. We discuss a design procedure and present visual results.

Hendrik Richter

A central question of evolutionary dynamics on graphs is whether or not a mutation introduced in a population of residents survives and eventually even spreads to the whole population, or gets extinct. The outcome naturally depends on the fitness of the mutant and the rules by which mutants and residents may propagate on the network, but arguably the most determining factor is the network structure. Some structured networks are transient amplifiers. They increase for a certain fitness range the fixation probability of beneficial mutations as compared to a well-mixed population. We study a perturbation methods for identifying transient amplifiers for death-Birth updating. The method includes calculating the coalescence times of random walks on graphs and finding the vertex with the largest remeeting time. If the graph is perturbed by removing an edge from this vertex, there is a certain likelihood that the resulting perturbed graph is a transient amplifier. We test all pairwise nonisomorphic cubic and quartic regular graphs up to a certain size and thus cover the whole structural range expressible by these graphs. We carry out a spectral analysis and show that the graphs from which the transient amplifiers can be constructed share certain structural properties. The graphs are path-like, have low conductance and are rather easy to divide into subgraphs by removing edges and/or vertices. This is connected with the subgraphs being identical (or almost identical) building blocks and the frequent occurrence of cut and/or hinge vertices. Identifying spectral and structural properties may promote finding and designing such networks.

Maximilian Gerwien, Rick Voßwinkel, Hendrik Richter

This paper adds to the discussion about theoretical aspects of particle swarm stability by proposing to employ stochastic Lyapunov functions and to determine the convergence set by quantifier elimination. We present a computational procedure and show that this approach leads to reevaluation and extension of previously know stability regions for PSO using a Lyapunov approach under stagnation assumptions.

Hendrik Richter

We study the emergence of cooperation in structured populations with any arrangement of cooperators and defectors on the evolutionary graph. Using structure coefficients defined for configurations describing such arrangements of any number of mutants, we provide results for weak selection to favor cooperation over defection on any regular graph with $N \leq 14$ vertices. Furthermore, the properties of graphs that particularly promote cooperation are analyzed. It is shown that the number of graph cycles of certain length is a good predictor for the values of the structure coefficient, and thus a tendency to favor cooperation. Another property of particularly cooperation-promoting regular graphs with a low degree is that they are structured to have blocks with clusters of mutants that are connected by cut vertices and/or hinge vertices.

Hendrik Richter

We study creating and analyzing symmetry and broken symmetry in digital art. Our focus is not so much on computer-generating artistic images, but rather on analyzing concepts and templates for incorporating symmetry and symmetry breaking into the creation process. Taking as a starting point patterns generated algorithmically by emulating the collective feeding behavior of sand-bubbler crabs, all four types of two-dimensional symmetry are used as isometric maps. Apart from a geometric interpretation of symmetry, we also consider color as an object of symmetric transformations. Color symmetry is realized as a color permutation consistent with the isometries. Moreover, we analyze the abilities of computational aesthetic measures to serve as a metric that reflects design parameters, i.e. the type of symmetry and the degree of symmetry breaking.

Hendrik Richter

Whether or not cooperation is favored over defection in evolutionary games can be assigned by structure coefficients for any arrangement of cooperators and defectors on any network modeled as a regular graph. We study how these structure coefficients relate to a scaling of dilemma strength in social dilemma games. It is shown that some graphs permit certain arrangements of cooperators and defectors to possess particularly large structure coefficients. Moreover, these large coefficients imply particularly large sections of a bounded parameter plane spanned by scaling gamble-intending and risk-averting dilemma strength.

Hendrik Richter

Whether or not cooperation is favored in evolutionary games on graphs depends on the population structure and spatial properties of the interaction network. Population structures can be expressed as configurations. Such configurations extend scenarios with a single cooperator among defectors to any number of cooperators and any arrangement of cooperators and defectors. Thus, as a single cooperator can be interpreted as a lone mutant, the discussion about fixation properties based on configurations also applies to multiple mutants. For interaction networks modeled as regular graphs and for weak selection, the emergence of cooperation can be assessed by structure coefficients, which are specific for a configuration and a graph. We analyze these structure coefficients and particularly show that under certain conditions the coefficients strongly correlate to the average shortest path length between cooperators on the evolutionary graph. Thus,for multiple cooperators fixation properties on regular evolutionary graphs can be linked to cooperator path length.

Hendrik Richter

In structured populations the spatial arrangement of cooperators and defectors on the interaction graph together with the structure of the graph itself determines the game dynamics and particularly whether or not fixation of cooperation (or defection) is favored. For a single cooperator (and a single defector) and a network described by a regular graph the question of fixation can be addressed by a single parameter, the structure coefficient. As this quantity is generic for any regular graph, we may call it the generic structure coefficient. For two and more cooperators (or several defectors) fixation properties can also be assigned by structure coefficients. These structure coefficients, however, depend on the arrangement of cooperators and defectors which we may interpret as a configuration of the game. Moreover, the coefficients are specific for a given interaction network modeled as regular graph, which is why we may call them specific structure coefficients. In this paper, we study how specific structure coefficients vary over interaction graphs and link the distributions obtained over different graphs to spectral properties of interaction networks. We also discuss implications for the benefit-to-cost ratios of donation games.

Hendrik Richter

Coevolutionary game dynamics is the result of players that may change their strategies and their network of interaction. For such games, and based on interpreting strategies as configurations, strategy-to-payoff maps can be defined for every interaction network, which opens up to derive game landscapes. This paper presents an analysis of these game landscapes by their information content. By this analysis, we particularly study the effect of a rescaled payoff matrix generalizing social dilemmas and differences between well-mixed and structured populations.

Hendrik Richter

Sand--bubblers are crabs of the genera Dotilla and Scopimera which are known to produce remarkable patterns and structures at tropical beaches. From these pattern-making abilities, we may draw inspiration for digital visual art. A simple mathematical model is proposed and an algorithm is designed that may create such sand-bubbler patterns artificially. In addition, design parameters to modify the patterns are identified and analyzed by computational aesthetic measures. Finally, an extension of the algorithm is discussed that may enable controlling and guiding generative evolution of the art-making process.

Hendrik Richter

The paper deals with using chaos to direct trajectories to targets and analyzes ruggedness and fractality of the resulting fitness landscapes. The targeting problem is formulated as a dynamic fitness landscape and four different chaotic maps generating such a landscape are studied. By using a computational approach, we analyze properties of the landscapes and quantify their fractal and rugged characteristics. In particular, it is shown that ruggedness measures such as correlation length and information content are scale-invariant and self-similar.

Hendrik Richter

Players of coevolutionary games may update not only their strategies but also their networks of interaction. Based on interpreting the payoff of players as fitness, dynamic landscape models are proposed. The modeling procedure is carried out for Prisoner's Dilemma (PD) and Snowdrift (SD) games that both use either birth--death (BD) or death--birth (DB) strategy updating. The main focus is on using dynamic fitness landscapes as a mathematical model of coevolutionary game dynamics. Hence, an alternative tool for analyzing coevolutionary games becomes available, and landscape measures such as modality, ruggedness and information content can be computed and analyzed. In addition, fixation properties of the games and quantifiers characterizing the interaction networks are calculated numerically. Relations are established between landscape properties expressed by landscape measures and quantifiers of coevolutionary game dynamics such as fixation probabilities, fixation times and network properties.

Hendrik Richter

Coevolutionary games cast players that may change their strategies as well as their networks of interaction. In this paper a framework is introduced for describing coevolutionary game dynamics by landscape models. It is shown that coevolutionary games invoke dynamic landscapes. Numerical experiments are shown for a prisoner's dilemma (PD) and a snow drift (SD) game that both use either birth-death (BD) or death-birth (DB) strategy updating. The resulting landscapes are analyzed with respect to modality and ruggedness

Hendrik Richter

Intransitivity is supposed to be a main reason for deficits in coevolutionary progress and inheritable superiority. Besides, coevolutionary dynamics is characterized by interactions yielding subjective fitness, but aiming at solutions that are superior with respect to an objective measurement. Such an approximation of objective fitness may be, for instance, generalization performance. In the paper a link between rating-- and ranking--based measures of intransitivity and fitness landscapes that can address the dichotomy between subjective and objective fitness is explored. The approach is illustrated by numerical experiments involving a simple random game with continuously tunable degree of randomness.

Hendrik Richter

Coevolutionary minimal substrates are simple and abstract models that allow studying the relationships and codynamics between objective and subjective fitness. Using these models an approach is presented for defining and analyzing fitness landscapes of coevolutionary problems. We devise similarity measures of codynamic fitness landscapes and experimentally study minimal substrates of test--based and compositional problems for both cooperative and competitive interaction.