>They are pre-programmed, with crossover functions, fitness measures, etc.
And these are all abstractions of the process of evolution in general, each one being analogous to genetic mutations, sex or gene sharing, fitness within an environment, etc.
>Also, no one claimed that it's inherently impossible to derive greater complexity from lesser complexity. That's a straw man
Plenty of people claim this; I never attributed that statement to you.
>GAs are not purposed with "deriving complexity", nor is that a desirable result in their application.
The "goal" is irrelevant to the question I'm addressing. Many people claim that evolution is impossible because complexity cannot be derived from "nothing". Genetic algorithms disprove that claim. The environment of a GA being artificial is irrelevant. Some GA's do in fact create complexity that even we cannot comprehend, I am reminded of a GA that developed a circuit design (for a DAC perhaps it was) that is completely incomprehensible, yet it works perfectly. This process validates the principle of evolution.
And these are all abstractions of the process of evolution in general, each one being analogous to genetic mutations, sex or gene sharing, fitness within an environment, etc.
>Also, no one claimed that it's inherently impossible to derive greater complexity from lesser complexity. That's a straw man
Plenty of people claim this; I never attributed that statement to you.
>GAs are not purposed with "deriving complexity", nor is that a desirable result in their application.
The "goal" is irrelevant to the question I'm addressing. Many people claim that evolution is impossible because complexity cannot be derived from "nothing". Genetic algorithms disprove that claim. The environment of a GA being artificial is irrelevant. Some GA's do in fact create complexity that even we cannot comprehend, I am reminded of a GA that developed a circuit design (for a DAC perhaps it was) that is completely incomprehensible, yet it works perfectly. This process validates the principle of evolution.