Source : Free On-Line Dictionary of Computing

evolutionary programming
     
        (EP) A {stochastic} optimisation strategy originally conceived
        by Lawrence J. Fogel in 1960.
     
        An initially random population of individuals (trial
        solutions) is created.  Mutations are then applied to each
        individual to create new individuals.  Mutations vary in the
        severity of their effect on the behaviour of the individual.
        The new individuals are then compared in a "tournament" to
        select which should survive to form the new population.
     
        EP is similar to a {genetic algorithm}, but models only the
        behavioural linkage between parents and their offspring, rather
        than seeking to emulate specific genetic operators from nature
        such as the encoding of behaviour in a genome and
        recombination by genetic crossover.
     
        EP is also similar to an {evolution strategy} (ES) although
        the two approaches developed independently.  In EP, selection
        is by comparison with a randomly chosen set of other
        individuals whereas ES typically uses {deterministic}
        selection in which the worst individuals are purged from the
        population.
     
        (1995-02-03)