We are very pleased to present this LNCS volume, the proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Parallel Problem Solving from Nature (PPSN IX). PPSNisoneofthemostrespectedandhighlyregardedconferenceseriesinevo- tionary computation and natural computing / computation. This biennial event was ?rst held in Dortmund in 1990, and then in Brussels (1992), Jerusalem (1994), Berlin (1996), Amsterdam (1998), Paris (2000), Granada (2002), and Birmingham(2004).PPSNcontinuestobetheconferenceofchoicebyresearchers all over the world, who value its high quality. We received 255 paper submissions...

Evolutionary algorithms, such as evolution strategies, genetic algorithms, or evolutionary programming, have found broad acceptance in the last ten years. In contrast to its broad propagation, theoretical analysis in this subject has not progressed as much. This monograph provides the framework and the first steps toward the theoretical analysis of Evolution Strategies (ES). The main emphasis is deriving a qualitative understanding of why and how these ES algorithms work.

Evolutionary algorithms, such as evolution strategies, genetic algorithms, or evolutionary programming, have found broad acceptance in the last ten years. In contrast to its broad propagation, theoretical analysis in this subject has not progressed as much. This monograph provides the framework and the first steps toward the theoretical analysis of Evolution Strategies (ES). The main emphasis is deriving a qualitative understanding of why and how these ES algorithms work.