A classification method using a hybrid genetic algorithm combined with an adaptive procedure for the pool of ellipsoids

This paper presents a hybrid classification method that utilizes genetic algorithms (GAs) and adaptive operations of ellipsoidal regions for multidimensional pattern classification problems with continuous features. The classification method fits a finite number of the ellipsoidal regions to data pattern by using hybrid GAs, the combination of local improvement procedures and GAs. The local improvement method adaptively expands, rotates, shrinks, and/or moves the ellipsoids while each ellipsoid is separately handled with a fitness value assigned during the GA operations. A set of significant features for the ellipsoids are automatically determined in the hybrid GA procedure by introducing “don’t care” bits to encode the chromosomes. The performance of the method is evaluated on well-known data sets and a real field classification problem originated from a deflection yoke production line. The evaluation results show that the proposed method can exert superior performance to other classification methods such as k nearest neighbor, decision trees, or neural networks.