[Noisebridge-discuss] I am interested in starting an optimization group at noisebridge

[Lee Worden]

I am interested.  I am a mathematician with related research interests, 
collective search and deliberation.
Lee W

On 05/27/11 15:00, noisebridge-discuss-request at lists.noisebridge.net wrote:
> Date: Fri, 27 May 2011 10:10:00 -0700
> From: Crutcher Dunnavant<crutcher at gmail.com>
> Subject: [Noisebridge-discuss] I am interested in starting an
> 	optimization group at noisebridge (BetterBridge? TrollSearch?)
> To: NoiseBridge Discuss<noisebridge-discuss at lists.noisebridge.net>
> Message-ID:<BANLkTinbddrdPDUtKG60O_2kcyGY9vuveA at mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>
> I am very interested in starting a black box optimization search group at
> noisebridge. This field is called "metaheauristics"; but the name is a
> stupid historical artifact (so says everyone in the field).
>
> Optimization is, given a function f(x), searching for the x which yields the
> best f(x). Black box optimization is a sub-field of optimization where you
> can't analyize the function f to determine what values of x are likely to be
> good; so you have to search the space for them.
>
> The following algorithms are ALL metaheuristic optimization:
> Hill Climbing (aka. Gradient Assent/Descent)
> Genetic Search
> Genetic Programming
> Ant Colony Systems
> Particle Swarm Optimization
>
> I've recently read a fabulous undergraduate text on the subject, very
> approachable, called "Essentials of Metaheuristics".
>
> The book in question is available from Lulu and Amazaon:
> http://www.cs.gmu.edu/~sean/book/metaheuristics/
> or you can just download the PDF.
> http://www.cs.gmu.edu/~sean/book/metaheuristics/Essentials.pdf
>
> If you aren't sure what I'm talking about, read the first chapter or two. If
> you have a background in programming, you should be able to follow it
> trivially.
>
> What I want TrollSearch to do: Build Shit
>
> Let's find interesting problems; and build search algorithms over them. This
> can apply to evolving good fit 3d models for the printer; making techno; or
> identifying penii.
>
> I'd like TrollSearch to look much more like SpaceBridge than like the Python
> Class.
>
> Please comment in-thread if you are interested.
>
> -- Crutcher Dunnavant <crutcher at gmail.com>