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Principles in the Evolutionary Design of Digital Circuits—Part I

Genetic Programming and Evolvable Machines Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

An evolutionary algorithm is used as an engine for discovering new designs of digital circuits, particularly arithmetic functions. These designs are often radically different from those produced by top-down, human, rule-based approaches. It is argued that by studying evolved designs of gradually increasing scale, one might be able to discern new, efficient, and generalizable principles of design. The ripple-carry adder principle is one such principle that can be inferred from evolved designs for one and two-bit adders. Novel evolved designs for three-bit binary multipliers are given that are 20% more efficient (in terms of number of two-input gates used) than the most efficient known conventional design.

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Miller, J.F., Job, D. & Vassilev, V.K. Principles in the Evolutionary Design of Digital Circuits—Part I. Genetic Programming and Evolvable Machines 1, 7–35 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1010016313373

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