A survey on evolutionary algorithms dynamics and its complexity – Mutual relations, past, present and future

Swarm and evolutionary based algorithms represent a class of search methods that can be used for solving optimization problems. They mimic natural principles of evolution and swarm based societies like ants, bees, by employing a population-based approach in mutual communication and information sharing and processing, including randomness. In this paper, history of swarm and evolutionary algorithms are discussed in general as well as their dynamics, structure and behavior. The core of this paper is an overview of an alternative way how dynamics of arbitrary swarm and evolutionary algorithms can be visualized, analyzed and controlled. Also selected representative applications are discussed at the end. Both subtopics are based on interdisciplinary intersection of two interesting research areas: swarm and evolutionary algorithms and complex dynamics of nonlinear systems that usually exhibit very complex behavior.