Cognitive Science Evolutionary Computation XML

The XML XCogSci.EC© specification will provide a basis for an open-source, input and output language for research and development of Evolutionary Computation models.

XML is a rigorously defined subset of Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML). Domain-specific XML vocabularies are used by a large and ever-growing number user communities to support a diverse set of applications, including those from mathematics, databases, vector graphics, and document authoring (see www.w3c.org). Hence, an EC language specified as an XML vocabulary has the assurance of longevity, stability, and support as a language, plus the advantage that a large number of users and developers are already familiar with XML.

The current objective is to design and develop the 0.0 version of XCogSci.EC© language specification. The EC 0.0 will be published to the cogsci-xml.org web site.

A key benefit of XML is that the language is extensible so that new EC strategies and techniques may be readily incorporated. Software components associated with XCogSci.EC© language elements can be readily identified by elements of the vocabulary and plugged into a XCogSci.EC© capable EC program.

The key technical properties and high-level requirements for the XCogSci.EC© XML vocabulary are:

• Flexibility to support Cognitive Neuroscience modeling, EC research, and domain-specific application development perspectives.
• Expressive power to fully describe the evolutionary problem domain.
• Concise declarative element structure to define the EC.
• Allow user-dependent data (plug-ins).
• Support plug-in target objective functions, genetic encodings and operators, and evolutionary engines.
• Support plug-in real-time visualizations and data logging for off-line analysis.

In conjunction with the specification, activities will include fostering collaboration and acceptance by establishing a public-domain web site to provide user- community interaction. The acceptance of any language standard requires input from a diverse group of users and a constant exchange of ideas in a public forum. A successful language must be concise yet expressive in the problem domain and is the result of the careful accumulation and distillation of captured ideas.

Working sketch of the EC 0.0 XML language:

  <ec>
    <targetObjective> </targetObjective>
    <environment> </environment>
    <genetics> </genetics>
    <genesis> </genesis>
    <simProfile> </simProfile>
    <simulation> </simulation>
    <run> </run>
  </ec>

Current Status: Under development