Task: Evolutionary algorithm
C++: #include <string>
#include <cstdlib>
#include <iostream>
#include <cassert>
#include <algorithm>
#include <vector>
#include <ctime>

std::string allowed_chars = " ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ";






class selection
{
public:
  
  
  
  
  static int fitness(std::string candidate)
  {
    assert(target.length() == candidate.length());

    int fitness_so_far = 0;

    for (int i = 0; i < target.length(); ++i)
    {
      int target_pos = allowed_chars.find(target[i]);
      int candidate_pos = allowed_chars.find(candidate[i]);
      int diff = std::abs(target_pos - candidate_pos);
      fitness_so_far -= std::min(diff, int(allowed_chars.length()) - diff);
    }

    return fitness_so_far;
  }

  
  static int target_length() { return target.length(); }
private:
  static std::string target;
};

std::string selection::target = "METHINKS IT IS LIKE A WEASEL";


void move_char(char& c, int distance)
{
  while (distance < 0)
    distance += allowed_chars.length();
  int char_pos = allowed_chars.find(c);
  c = allowed_chars[(char_pos + distance) % allowed_chars.length()];
}



std::string mutate(std::string parent, double mutation_rate)
{
  for (int i = 0; i < parent.length(); ++i)
    if (std::rand()/(RAND_MAX + 1.0) < mutation_rate)
    {
      int distance = std::rand() % 3 + 1;
      if(std::rand()%2 == 0)
        move_char(parent[i], distance);
      else
        move_char(parent[i], -distance);
    }
  return parent;
}



bool less_fit(std::string const& s1, std::string const& s2)
{
  return selection::fitness(s1) < selection::fitness(s2);
}

int main()
{
  int const C = 100;

  std::srand(time(0));

  std::string parent;
  for (int i = 0; i < selection::target_length(); ++i)
  {
    parent += allowed_chars[std::rand() % allowed_chars.length()];
  }

  int const initial_fitness = selection::fitness(parent);

  for(int fitness = initial_fitness;
      fitness < 0;
      fitness = selection::fitness(parent))
  {
    std::cout << parent << ": " << fitness << "\n";
    double const mutation_rate = 0.02 + (0.9*fitness)/initial_fitness;
    std::vector<std::string> childs;
    childs.reserve(C+1);

    childs.push_back(parent);
    for (int i = 0; i < C; ++i)
      childs.push_back(mutate(parent, mutation_rate));

    parent = *std::max_element(childs.begin(), childs.end(), less_fit);
  }
  std::cout << "final string: " << parent << "\n";
}

Java: import java.util.Random;

public class EvoAlgo {
  static final String target = "METHINKS IT IS LIKE A WEASEL";
  static final char[] possibilities = "ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ ".toCharArray();
  static int C = 100; 
  static double minMutateRate = 0.09;
  static int perfectFitness = target.length();
  private static String parent;
  static Random rand = new Random();

  private static int fitness(String trial){
    int retVal = 0;
    for(int i = 0;i < trial.length(); i++){
      if (trial.charAt(i) == target.charAt(i)) retVal++;
    }
    return retVal;
  }

  private static double newMutateRate(){
    return (((double)perfectFitness - fitness(parent)) / perfectFitness * (1 - minMutateRate));
  }

  private static String mutate(String parent, double rate){
    String retVal = "";
    for(int i = 0;i < parent.length(); i++){
      retVal += (rand.nextDouble() <= rate) ?
        possibilities[rand.nextInt(possibilities.length)]:
        parent.charAt(i);
    }
    return retVal;
  }
  
  public static void main(String[] args){
    parent = mutate(target, 1);
    int iter = 0;
    while(!target.equals(parent)){
      double rate = newMutateRate();
      iter++;
      if(iter % 100 == 0){
        System.out.println(iter +": "+parent+ ", fitness: "+fitness(parent)+", rate: "+rate);
      }
      String bestSpawn = null;
      int bestFit = 0;
      for(int i = 0; i < C; i++){
        String spawn = mutate(parent, rate);
        int fitness = fitness(spawn);
        if(fitness > bestFit){
          bestSpawn = spawn;
          bestFit = fitness;
        }
      }
      parent = bestFit > fitness(parent) ? bestSpawn : parent;
    }
    System.out.println(parent+", "+iter);
  }

}