Evolutionary Automata and Deep Evolutionary Computation
This provides a foundational framework for evolutionary computation, potentially impacting all of ML/AI, but it is incremental as it builds on existing evolutionary algorithms.
The paper introduces evolutionary automata as a formal model for evolutionary computation, analogous to Turing machines for algorithms, enabling direct modeling of evolution of evolution and enhancing expressiveness.
Evolution by natural selection, which is one of the most compelling themes of modern science, brought forth evolutionary algorithms and evolutionary computation, applying mechanisms of evolution in nature to various problems solved by computers. In this paper we concentrate on evolutionary automata that constitute an analogous model of evolutionary computation compared to well-known evolutionary algorithms. Evolutionary automata provide a more complete dual model of evolutionary computation, similar like abstract automata (e.g., Turing machines) form a more formal and precise model compared to recursive algorithms and their subset - evolutionary algorithms. An evolutionary automaton is an automaton that evolves performing evolutionary computation perhaps using an infinite number of generations. This model allows for a direct modeling evolution of evolution, and leads to tremendous expressiveness of evolutionary automata and evolutionary computation. This also gives the hint to the power of natural evolution that is self-evolving by interactive feedback with the environment.