Since the early 1990s, genetic programming (GP)--a discipline whose goal is to enable the automatic generation of computer programs--has emerged as one of the most promising paradigms for fast, productive software development. GP combines biological metaphors gleaned from Darwin's theory of evolution with computer-science approaches drawn from the field of machine learning to create programs that are capable of adapting or recreating themselves for open-ended tasks.

This unique introduction to GP provides a detailed overview of the subject and its antecedents, with extensive references to...