Applications of Evolutionary Computing : EvoWorkshops 2001: EvoCOP, EvoFlight, EvoIASP, EvoLearn, and EvoSTIM, Como, Italy, April 18-20, 2001 Proceedings

Evolutionary Computation (EC) is a rapidly expanding eld of computer science in which problem solving, optimization, and machine learning techniques ins- red by genetics and natural selection are studied.

In recent years, a number of studies and results have been reported in the literature which have disclosed the potentials of EC techniques and shown their capability to solve hard problems in several domains.

This volume contains the proceedings of EvoWorkshops 2001, an event - cluding the First European Workshop on Evolutionary Computation in Com- natorial Optimization (EvoCOP), the Second European Workshop on Evolut- nary Aeronautics (EvoFlight), the Third European Workshop on Evolutionary Computation in Image Analysis and Signal Processing (EvoIASP), the First - ropean Workshop on Evolutionary Learning (EvoLearn), and the Second Eu- pean Workshop on Evolutionary Scheduling and Timetabling (EvoSTIM).

These workshops were held in Como, Italy, on 18 and 19 April 2001, as part of - roGP 2001, the Fourth European Conference on Genetic Programming. EvoCOP focuses on applications of evolutionary algorithms and related h- ristic search methods to various combinatorial optimization problems.

It also covers general methodological aspects of such algorithms like operator analyses, search dynamics, tness landscapes, and algorithmic comparisons, which are the driving force in gaining a better understanding of evolutionary search and hence support the design of e ective evolutionary algorithms for combinatorial op- mization problems of practical relevance.

EvoFlight is aimed at bringing together researchers and industrial parties to discuss the use of evolutionary computation in aerospace.