Roulette Selection in Genetic Algorithms

Question

Can anyone provide some pseudo code for a roulette selection function? How would I implement this:

I don't really understand how to read this math notation. I never took any probability or statistics.

Answer 1

This Swift 4 array extension implements weighted random selection, a.k.a Roulette selection from its elements:

public extension Array where Element == Double {

    /// Consider the elements as weight values and return a weighted random selection by index.
    /// a.k.a Roulette wheel selection.
    func weightedRandomIndex() -> Int {
        var selected: Int = 0
        var total: Double = self[0]

        for i in 1..<self.count { // start at 1
            total += self[i]
            if( Double.random(in: 0...1) <= (self[i] / total)) { selected = i }
        }

        return selected
    }
}

For example given the two element array:

[0.9, 0.1]

weightedRandomIndex() will return zero 90% of the time and one 10% of the time.

Here is a more complete test:

let weights = [0.1, 0.7, 0.1, 0.1]
var results = [Int:Int]()
let n = 100000
for _ in 0..<n {
    let index = weights.weightedRandomIndex()
    results[index] = results[index, default:0] + 1
}
for (key,val) in results.sorted(by: { a,b in weights[a.key] < weights[b.key] }) {
    print(weights[key], Double(val)/Double(n))
}

output:

0.1 0.09906
0.1 0.10126
0.1 0.09876
0.7 0.70092

This answer is basically the same as Andrew Mao's answer here: https://stackoverflow.com/a/15582983/74975

Answer 2

It's been a few years since i've done this myself, however the following pseudo code was found easily enough on google.

for all members of population
    sum += fitness of this individual
end for

for all members of population
    probability = sum of probabilities + (fitness / sum)
    sum of probabilities += probability
end for

loop until new population is full
    do this twice
        number = Random between 0 and 1
        for all members of population
            if number > probability but less than next probability 
                then you have been selected
        end for
    end
    create offspring
end loop

The site where this came from can be found here if you need further details.

Answer 3

Roulette Wheel Selection in MatLab:

TotalFitness=sum(Fitness);
    ProbSelection=zeros(PopLength,1);
    CumProb=zeros(PopLength,1);

    for i=1:PopLength
        ProbSelection(i)=Fitness(i)/TotalFitness;
        if i==1
            CumProb(i)=ProbSelection(i);
        else
            CumProb(i)=CumProb(i-1)+ProbSelection(i);
        end
    end

    SelectInd=rand(PopLength,1);

    for i=1:PopLength
        flag=0;
        for j=1:PopLength
            if(CumProb(j)<SelectInd(i) && CumProb(j+1)>=SelectInd(i))
                SelectedPop(i,1:IndLength)=CurrentPop(j+1,1:IndLength);
                flag=1;
                break;
            end
        end
        if(flag==0)
            SelectedPop(i,1:IndLength)=CurrentPop(1,1:IndLength);
        end
    end

Answer 4

Here is some code in C :

// Find the sum of fitnesses. The function fitness(i) should 
//return the fitness value   for member i**

float sumFitness = 0.0f;
for (int i=0; i < nmembers; i++)
    sumFitness += fitness(i);

// Get a floating point number in the interval 0.0 ... sumFitness**
float randomNumber = (float(rand() % 10000) / 9999.0f) * sumFitness;

// Translate this number to the corresponding member**
int memberID=0;
float partialSum=0.0f;

while (randomNumber > partialSum)
{
   partialSum += fitness(memberID);
   memberID++;
} 

**// We have just found the member of the population using the roulette algorithm**
**// It is stored in the "memberID" variable**
**// Repeat this procedure as many times to find random members of the population**

Answer 5

Here's a compact java implementation I wrote recently for roulette selection, hopefully of use.

public static gene rouletteSelection()
{
    float totalScore = 0;
    float runningScore = 0;
    for (gene g : genes)
    {
        totalScore += g.score;
    }

    float rnd = (float) (Math.random() * totalScore);

    for (gene g : genes)
    {   
        if (    rnd>=runningScore &&
                rnd<=runningScore+g.score)
        {
            return g;
        }
        runningScore+=g.score;
    }

    return null;
}

Answer 6

From the above answer, I got the following, which was clearer to me than the answer itself.

To give an example:

Random(sum) :: Random(12) Iterating through the population, we check the following: random < sum

Let us chose 7 as the random number.

Index   |   Fitness |   Sum |   7 < Sum
0       |   2   |   2       |   false
1       |   3   |   5       |   false
2       |   1   |   6       |   false
3       |   4   |   10      |   true
4       |   2   |   12      |   ...

Through this example, the most fit (Index 3) has the highest percentage of being chosen (33%); as the random number only has to land within 6->10, and it will be chosen.

    for (unsigned int i=0;i<sets.size();i++) {
        sum += sets[i].eval();
    }       
    double rand = (((double)rand() / (double)RAND_MAX) * sum);
    sum = 0;
    for (unsigned int i=0;i<sets.size();i++) {
        sum += sets[i].eval();
        if (rand < sum) {
            //breed i
            break;
        }
    }