memetic algorithm

<algorithm> A genetic algorithm or evolutionary algorithm which includes a non-genentic local search to improve genotypes. The term comes from the Richard Dawkin's term "meme".

One big difference between memes and genes is that memes are processed and possibly improved by the people that hold them - something that cannot happen to genes. It is this advantage that the memetic algorithm has over simple genetic or evolutionary algorithms.

(11 Aug 1996)