English

All Mutation Rates $c/n$ for the $(1+1)$ Evolutionary Algorithm

Neural and Evolutionary Computing 2026-03-02 v1

Abstract

For every real number c1c \geq 1 and for all ε>0\varepsilon > 0, there is a fitness function f:{0,1}nRf : \{0,1\}^n \to \mathbb{R} for which the optimal mutation rate for the (1+1)(1+1) evolutionary algorithm on ff, denoted pnp_n, satisfies pnc/np_n \approx c/n in that npnc<ε|np_n - c| < \varepsilon. In other words, the set of all c1c \geq 1 for which the mutation rate c/nc/n is optimal for the (1+1)(1+1) EA is dense in the interval [1,)[1, \infty). To show this, a fitness function is introduced which is called HillPathJump.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2602.23573,
  title  = {All Mutation Rates $c/n$ for the $(1+1)$ Evolutionary Algorithm},
  author = {Andrew James Kelley},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2602.23573},
  year   = {2026}
}

Comments

8 pages

R2 v1 2026-07-01T10:54:44.207Z