Large Language Models as Surrogate Models in Evolutionary Algorithms: A Preliminary Study

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Hao, Hao, Zhang, Xiaoqun, Zhou, Aimin
Format: Preprint
Published: 2024
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author Hao, Hao
Zhang, Xiaoqun
Zhou, Aimin
author_facet Hao, Hao
Zhang, Xiaoqun
Zhou, Aimin
contents Large Language Models (LLMs) have achieved significant progress across various fields and have exhibited strong potential in evolutionary computation, such as generating new solutions and automating algorithm design. Surrogate-assisted selection is a core step in evolutionary algorithms to solve expensive optimization problems by reducing the number of real evaluations. Traditionally, this has relied on conventional machine learning methods, leveraging historical evaluated evaluations to predict the performance of new solutions. In this work, we propose a novel surrogate model based purely on LLM inference capabilities, eliminating the need for training. Specifically, we formulate model-assisted selection as a classification and regression problem, utilizing LLMs to directly evaluate the quality of new solutions based on historical data. This involves predicting whether a solution is good or bad, or approximating its value. This approach is then integrated into evolutionary algorithms, termed LLM-assisted EA (LAEA). Detailed experiments compared the visualization results of 2D data from 9 mainstream LLMs, as well as their performance on optimization problems. The experimental results demonstrate that LLMs have significant potential as surrogate models in evolutionary computation, achieving performance comparable to traditional surrogate models only using inference. This work offers new insights into the application of LLMs in evolutionary computation. Code is available at: https://github.com/hhyqhh/LAEA.git
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2406_10675
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Large Language Models as Surrogate Models in Evolutionary Algorithms: A Preliminary Study
Hao, Hao
Zhang, Xiaoqun
Zhou, Aimin
Neural and Evolutionary Computing
Large Language Models (LLMs) have achieved significant progress across various fields and have exhibited strong potential in evolutionary computation, such as generating new solutions and automating algorithm design. Surrogate-assisted selection is a core step in evolutionary algorithms to solve expensive optimization problems by reducing the number of real evaluations. Traditionally, this has relied on conventional machine learning methods, leveraging historical evaluated evaluations to predict the performance of new solutions. In this work, we propose a novel surrogate model based purely on LLM inference capabilities, eliminating the need for training. Specifically, we formulate model-assisted selection as a classification and regression problem, utilizing LLMs to directly evaluate the quality of new solutions based on historical data. This involves predicting whether a solution is good or bad, or approximating its value. This approach is then integrated into evolutionary algorithms, termed LLM-assisted EA (LAEA). Detailed experiments compared the visualization results of 2D data from 9 mainstream LLMs, as well as their performance on optimization problems. The experimental results demonstrate that LLMs have significant potential as surrogate models in evolutionary computation, achieving performance comparable to traditional surrogate models only using inference. This work offers new insights into the application of LLMs in evolutionary computation. Code is available at: https://github.com/hhyqhh/LAEA.git
title Large Language Models as Surrogate Models in Evolutionary Algorithms: A Preliminary Study
topic Neural and Evolutionary Computing
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2406.10675