References

• There are several books that deal with evolutionary computation thoroughly. The one that is more similar in approach to this tutorial is Genetic Algorithms+Data Structures = Evolution Programs, by Zbigniew Michalewicz; already in its third edition, it has a practical approach from the beginning in its first part, and has a second part devoted to applications. Another interesting book is Introduction to Genetic Algorithms, by Melanie Mitchell; although it devotes too much space to evolving cellular automata, it has a good balance between theory, practice and applications.

• The Hitchhiker's guide to evolutionary computation (HHGTEC) is the field FAQ. Besides the FAQ, it includes lots of resources, links to other web pages, mailing lists, and home pages related to the subject.

• The main conferences in the field are GECCO (Genetic and Evolutionary Computation Conference) and CEC (Congress on Evolutionary Computation), which take place annually, and are big events with lots of people and humongous proceedings, and PPSN, Parallel Problem Solving From Nature, which takes place biannually (in even years) in Europe, usually in September; it is an smaller event, with around 150-200 attendees.

• EvoNet is the European network for evolutionary computation, a consortium of European university departments and enterprises devoted to the promotion and application of evolutionary computation, in all its forms. Its web site contains all kind of things, from tutorials, to case studies, to lists of places where you can get degrees on evolutionary computation.