Solution

Statement: The Correct answer is option 2: C → A → D → B

Explanation of each step:

Step C: Calculate fitness of each member of the population

• The first step in the Genetic Algorithm process is to evaluate the fitness of each member in the population. Fitness is a measure of how well a solution satisfies the objective function or problem requirements.
• This allows the algorithm to determine the quality of the solutions and decide which ones will move forward into the next generation.
• Fitness calculation is crucial as it guides the selection of parents for reproduction.

Step A: Select a pair of parents from the population

• Once the fitness of each member is calculated, the next step is to select parents for reproduction. Parents are selected based on their fitness scores, with fitter individuals having a higher probability of being chosen.
• Selection methods include roulette wheel selection, tournament selection, or rank-based selection.
• The goal is to ensure that better solutions contribute more to the next generation, while still maintaining diversity in the population.

Step D: Apply crossover with probability pc to form offsprings

• After selecting the parents, crossover is applied to combine their genetic material and produce offspring. This step mimics reproduction in biological systems.
• Crossover is performed with a certain probability (pc) and involves swapping segments of genetic material between parent chromosomes.
• It is used to explore the search space and create new solutions by combining the characteristics of the parents.

Step B: Apply mutation at each locus with probability pm

• Mutation is applied to the offspring with a certain probability (pm). It introduces random changes in the genetic material to maintain diversity in the population and avoid premature convergence.
• Mutation ensures that new areas of the search space are explored, which can lead to discovering better solutions.
• It typically involves flipping bits, swapping values, or making minor alterations in the solution representation.

Thus, the correct order of steps in the Genetic Algorithm process is: C → A → D → B.