First published in 1999, this book examines the 'how' and 'why' of strategic planning, illustrates the vital role it plays in our day-to-day lives and explores its potential for helping to ensure the future viability of humanity and of the cultures and societies in which we live. The authors describe the processes and major impediments in high level strategic planning, introduce a new mechanism, new tools and processes and provide a number of case studies to demonstrate the use of the proposed methodology. 'Strategic Planning: Processes, Tools and Outcomes' will be invaluable reading for academics and students of planning and for planning practitioners around the world.

First published in 1999, this book examines the 'how' and 'why' of strategic planning, illustrates the vital role it plays in our day-to-day lives and explores its potential for helping to ensure the future viability of humanity and of the cultures and societies in which we live. The authors describe the processes and major impediments in high level strategic planning, introduce a new mechanism, new tools and processes and provide a number of case studies to demonstrate the use of the proposed methodology. 'Strategic Planning: Processes, Tools and Outcomes' will be invaluable reading for academics and students of planning and for planning practitioners around the world.

Rapid developments in the field of genetic algorithms along with the popularity of the first edition precipitated this completely revised, thoroughly updated second edition of The Practical Handbook of Genetic Algorithms. Like its predecessor, this edition helps practitioners stay up to date on recent developments in the field and provides material they can use productively in their own endeavors.

For this edition, the editor again recruited authors at the top of their field and from a cross section of academia and industry, theory and practice. Their contributions detail their own research, new applications, experiment results, and recent advances. Among the applications explored are scheduling problems, optimization, multidimensional scaling, constraint handling, and feature selection and classification.

The science and art of GA programming and application has come a long way in the five years since publication of the bestselling first edition. But there still is a long way to go before its bounds are reached-we are still just scratching the surface of GA applications and refinements. By introducing intriguing new applications, offering extensive lists of code, and reporting advances both subtle and dramatic, The Practical Handbook of Genetic Algorithms is designed to help readers contribute to scratching that surface a bit deeper.

Practical Handbook of Genetic Algorithms, Volume 3: Complex Coding Systems contains computer-code examples for the development of genetic algorithm systems - compiling them from an array of practitioners in the field. Each contribution of this singular resource includes: unique code segments documentation description of the operations performed rationale for the chosen approach problems the code overcomes or addresses Practical Handbook of Genetic Algorithms, Volume 3: Complex Coding Systems complements the first two volumes in the series by offering examples of computer code. The first two volumes dealt with new research and an overview of the types of applications that could be taken with GAs. This volume differs from its predecessors by specifically concentrating on specific functions in genetic algorithms, serving as the only compilation of useful and usable computer code in the field.

Practical Handbook of Genetic Algorithms, Volume 3: Complex Coding Systems contains computer-code examples for the development of genetic algorithm systems - compiling them from an array of practitioners in the field.
Each contribution of this singular resource includes:
unique code segments
documentation
description of the operations performed
rationale for the chosen approach
problems the code overcomes or addresses
Practical Handbook of Genetic Algorithms, Volume 3: Complex Coding Systems complements the first two volumes in the series by offering examples of computer code. The first two volumes dealt with new research and an overview of the types of applications that could be taken with GAs. This volume differs from its predecessors by specifically concentrating on specific functions in genetic algorithms, serving as the only compilation of useful and usable computer code in the field.

The mathematics employed by genetic algorithms (GAs)are among the most exciting discoveries of the last few decades. But what exactly is a genetic algorithm? A genetic algorithm is a problem-solving method that uses genetics as its model of problem solving. It applies the rules of reproduction, gene crossover, and mutation to pseudo-organisms so those "organisms" can pass beneficial and survival-enhancing traits to new generations. GAs are useful in the selection of parameters to optimize a system's performance. A second potential use lies in testing and fitting quantitative models. Unlike any other book available, this interesting new text/reference takes you from the construction of a simple GA to advanced implementations. As you come to understand GAs and their processes, you will begin to understand the power of the genetic-based problem-solving paradigms that lie behind them.
The Practical Handbook of Genetic Algorithms presents for the first time new areas of research and implementation. Problems that for many have been considered intractable are shown to be solvable using the techniques described in this work. Specific solution descriptions to real-world problems are provided, or use these as examples to develop solutions to unique problems.
Volume II picks up where the first book leaves off and presents the topic from more of an applications point of view. The focus of the book is to show the reader how to develop their own genetic algorithm coding schemes and how and when to employ the GA to solve problems.