Merge pull request #487 from Kenneth-T-Moore/genetic

Simple genetic algorithm

openmdao/api.py

@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@
 except ImportError:
     pass
 from openmdao.drivers.scipy_optimizer import ScipyOptimizer
+from openmdao.drivers.genetic_algorithm_driver import SimpleGADriver
 
 # System-Building Tools
 from openmdao.utils.options_dictionary import OptionsDictionary

openmdao/docs/feature_reference/building_blocks/drivers/genetic_algorithm.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+
+****************
+Simple GA Driver
+****************
+
+The SimpleGADriver is a driver based on a simple genetic algorithm implementation sourced from the lecture
+notes for the class 2009 AAE550 taught by Prof. William A. Crossley. The implementation is pure Python.
+
+The SimpleGADriver supports integer design variables, but it is not limited to them. You can use a genetic
+algorithm with continuous design variables, but they must be discretized before being encoded into a binary string.
+The SimpleGADriver will encode a continuous variable for you, but you must specify the number of bits for
+the discretization via the 'bits' option. This number is the base-2 logarithm of the number of points you
+want between the min and max value.  A higher value means more accuracy for this variable, but it also increases
+the number of generations (and hence total evaluations) that will be required to find the minimum. If you do not
+specify a value for bits for a continuous variable, then the variable is assumed to be integer, and encoded thusly.
+
+The examples below show a mixed integer problem to illustrate usage of this driver with both integer and
+discrete design variables.
+
+.. embed-test::
+    openmdao.drivers.tests.test_genetic_algorithm_driver.TestFeatureSimpleGA.test_basic
+
+Optimizer Settings
+==================
+
+.. embed-options::
+    openmdao.drivers.genetic_algorithm_driver
+    SimpleGADriver
+    options
+
+You can change the number of generations to run the genetic algorithm by setting the "max_gen" option.
+
+.. embed-test::
+    openmdao.drivers.tests.test_genetic_algorithm_driver.TestFeatureSimpleGA.test_option_max_gen
+
+You can change the population size by setting the "pop_size" option.
+
+.. embed-test::
+    openmdao.drivers.tests.test_genetic_algorithm_driver.TestFeatureSimpleGA.test_option_pop_size
+
+If you have a model that doesn't contain any distributed components or parallel groups, then the model
+evaluations for a new generation can be performed in parallel by turning on the "parallel" option:
+
+.. embed-test::
+    openmdao.drivers.tests.test_genetic_algorithm_driver.MPIFeatureTests.test_option_parallel

openmdao/docs/feature_reference/building_blocks/drivers/index.rst

@@ -8,3 +8,4 @@ Drivers
 
     scipy_optimizer.rst
     pyoptsparse_driver.rst
+    genetic_algorithm.rst