English
Related papers

Related papers: Large Language Models as Evolutionary Optimizers

200 papers

Evolutionary algorithms (EAs) have proven effective in exploring the vast solution spaces typical of graph-structured combinatorial problems. However, traditional encoding schemes, such as binary or numerical representations, often fail to…

Neural and Evolutionary Computing · Computer Science 2025-10-28 Jie Zhao , Kang Hao Cheong

Large Language Models (LLMs) have demonstrated remarkable reasoning abilities, prompting interest in their application as black-box optimizers. This paper asserts that LLMs possess the capability for zero-shot optimization across diverse…

Hyperparameter optimization is a crucial problem in Evolutionary Computation. In fact, the values of the hyperparameters directly impact the trajectory taken by the optimization process, and their choice requires extensive reasoning by…

Neural and Evolutionary Computing · Computer Science 2024-08-06 Leonardo Lucio Custode , Fabio Caraffini , Anil Yaman , Giovanni Iacca

Large Language Models (LLMs) possess substantial reasoning capabilities and are increasingly applied to optimization tasks, particularly in synergy with evolutionary computation. However, while recent surveys have explored specific aspects…

Neural and Evolutionary Computing · Computer Science 2026-01-08 Yisong Zhang , Ran Cheng , Guoxing Yi , Kay Chen Tan

Designing functional transition metal complexes (TMCs) faces challenges due to the vast search space of metals and ligands, requiring efficient optimization strategies. Traditional genetic algorithms (GAs) are commonly used, employing…

Chemical Physics · Physics 2024-10-25 Jieyu Lu , Zhangde Song , Qiyuan Zhao , Yuanqi Du , Yirui Cao , Haojun Jia , Chenru Duan

Recent work has demonstrated the promise of orchestrating large language models (LLMs) within evolutionary and agentic optimization systems. However, the mechanisms driving these optimization gains remain poorly understood. In this work, we…

Computation and Language · Computer Science 2026-04-22 Xinhao Zhang , Xi Chen , François Portet , Maxime Peyrard

Optimization algorithms are widely employed to tackle complex problems, but designing them manually is often labor-intensive and requires significant expertise. Global placement is a fundamental step in electronic design automation (EDA).…

Neural and Evolutionary Computing · Computer Science 2025-04-28 Xufeng Yao , Jiaxi Jiang , Yuxuan Zhao , Peiyu Liao , Yibo Lin , Bei Yu

Bayesian optimization (BO) is a powerful class of algorithms for optimizing expensive black-box functions, but designing effective BO algorithms remains a manual, expertise-driven task. Recent advancements in Large Language Models (LLMs)…

Machine Learning · Computer Science 2025-05-28 Wenhu Li , Niki van Stein , Thomas Bäck , Elena Raponi

The paradigm of automated program generation is shifting from one-shot generation to inference-time search, where Large Language Models (LLMs) function as semantic mutation operators within evolutionary loops. While effective, these systems…

Neural and Evolutionary Computing · Computer Science 2026-02-24 Mert Cemri , Shubham Agrawal , Akshat Gupta , Shu Liu , Audrey Cheng , Qiuyang Mang , Ashwin Naren , Lutfi Eren Erdogan , Koushik Sen , Matei Zaharia , Alex Dimakis , Ion Stoica

Large Language Models (LLMs) have shown notable potential in code generation for optimization algorithms, unlocking exciting new opportunities. This paper examines how LLMs, rather than creating algorithms from scratch, can improve existing…

Artificial Intelligence · Computer Science 2025-07-22 Camilo Chacón Sartori , Christian Blum

In recent years, large language models (LLMs) have made remarkable progress, with model optimization primarily relying on gradient-based optimizers such as Adam. However, these gradient-based methods impose stringent hardware requirements,…

Artificial Intelligence · Computer Science 2025-10-24 WenTao Liu , Siyu Song , Hao Hao , Aimin Zhou

We study how large language models can be used in combination with evolutionary computation techniques to automatically discover optimization algorithms for the design of photonic structures. Building on the Large Language Model…

Neural and Evolutionary Computing · Computer Science 2025-03-26 Haoran Yin , Anna V. Kononova , Thomas Bäck , Niki van Stein

Integrating Large Language Models (LLMs) and Evolutionary Computation (EC) represents a promising avenue for advancing artificial intelligence by combining powerful natural language understanding with optimization and search capabilities.…

Neural and Evolutionary Computing · Computer Science 2025-05-22 Dikshit Chauhan , Bapi Dutta , Indu Bala , Niki van Stein , Thomas Bäck , Anupam Yadav

Optimization algorithms and large language models (LLMs) enhance decision-making in dynamic environments by integrating artificial intelligence with traditional techniques. LLMs, with extensive domain knowledge, facilitate intelligent…

Neural and Evolutionary Computing · Computer Science 2024-05-17 Sen Huang , Kaixiang Yang , Sheng Qi , Rui Wang

Feature transformation aims to reconstruct the feature space of raw features to enhance the performance of downstream models. However, the exponential growth in the combinations of features and operations poses a challenge, making it…

Machine Learning · Computer Science 2024-12-19 Nanxu Gong , Chandan K. Reddy , Wangyang Ying , Haifeng Chen , Yanjie Fu

Large Language Models (LLMs) exhibit world knowledge and inference capabilities, making them powerful tools for various applications. This paper proposes a feedback loop mechanism that leverages these capabilities to tune Evolution…

Machine Learning · Computer Science 2024-05-21 Oliver Kramer

Large Transformer models are capable of implementing a plethora of so-called in-context learning algorithms. These include gradient descent, classification, sequence completion, transformation, and improvement. In this work, we investigate…

Artificial Intelligence · Computer Science 2024-02-29 Robert Tjarko Lange , Yingtao Tian , Yujin Tang

Over the last few decades, researchers have made considerable efforts to make decision support more accessible for small and medium enterprises by reducing the cost of designing, developing and maintaining automated decision support…

Software Engineering · Computer Science 2025-04-07 Daniel Karapetyan

Discovering efficient algorithms for solving complex problems has been an outstanding challenge in mathematics and computer science, requiring substantial human expertise over the years. Recent advancements in evolutionary search with large…

Artificial Intelligence · Computer Science 2026-05-26 Anja Surina , Amin Mansouri , Lars Quaedvlieg , Amal Seddas , Maryna Viazovska , Emmanuel Abbe , Caglar Gulcehre

Automated feature engineering plays a critical role in improving predictive model performance for tabular learning tasks. Traditional automated feature engineering methods are limited by their reliance on pre-defined transformations within…

Machine Learning · Computer Science 2026-05-12 Nikhil Abhyankar , Parshin Shojaee , Chandan K. Reddy