The Convergence Rate and Efficiency of Evolutionary Algorithms

This paper investigates two important issues of evolutionary algorithms (EAs): The convergence rate and the efficiency. The convergence order and converging factor are presented to analyze the convergence rate of evolutionary algorithms. The theory of order statistics is utilized to compute convergence order and converging factor. Besides the convergence rate there remains the question how efficient an evolutionary algorithm performs the generational change. The convergence order and the number of fitness evaluation are used to assess the EAs’ efficiency. As an example, the convergence order and converging factor of (μ,λ)-ES on spherical model are derived. The optimal rate λμ of (μ,λ)-ES on spherical model is analyzed according to efficiency. This way, a step towards the theoretical foundation for the EAs’ efficiency is made.