Patent ID: 7272584

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for selecting a combination of parameter values for use in determining a candidate solution for a problem involving multiple parameters, comprising: representing the multiple parameters as an individual containing multiple sets of genes, each gene having a set of allowable gene values for one of the multiple parameters; specifying, via one or more configurable dominance attributes, that an allowable gene value representing a known preferred value for that gene recessive; initializing a population of individuals, each comprising multiple sets of genes with corresponding gene values; performing a genetic algorithm to evolve the population and to select one or more individuals, wherein the population is evolved based, at least in part, on the one or more specified dominance attributes, and wherein specifying the known preferred gene value as recessive increases a search space evaluated by the genetic algorithm; determining the candidate solution from the evolved population; and storing the candidate solution for the problem, wherein the candidate solution specifies a value for each of the multiple parameters.