Genetic algorithm optimization of atomic clusters

摘要

The authors have been using genetic algorithms to study the structures of atomic clusters and related problems. They use a novel mating algorithm that preserves some of the geometrical relationship between atoms, in order to ensure that the resultant structures are likely to inherit the best features of the parent clusters. Using this approach, they have been able to find lower energy structures than had been previously obtained. Most recently, they have been able to turn around the building block idea, using optimized structures from the GA to learn about systematic structural trends. They believe that an effective GA can help provide such heuristic information, and (conversely) that such information can be introduced back into the algorithm to assist in the search process.