Break and change of rooms

Black-box optimisation using evolutionary algorithms.

There are numerous methods for the optimisation of a function. For some well-behaved functions this can be done analytically, but in fields like robotics we are not often dealing with well-behaved functions. In this short lecture, we will look at black-box optimisation, in which the gradient of the function is not known, and solve this using two different methods: the simplex method and an evolutionary algorithm.

By Roy de Kleijn

Introduction to Algorithms and Programming.

In this trial lecture, you will see what you can achieve using algorithms that you will learn in your first year. Algorithms are the cornerstone of traditional AI and you will see how things like Google Maps work. In the second part of the lecture you will get a short introduction to programming (javascript). Here, you will learn how to make a simple simulation. We will then put this knowledge into practice in the computer room where you will also make a short simulation to approximate the area of a circle. This lecture represents typical things you can achieve with the knowledge you learn during your study DSAI at Leiden University.

By Jonne Goedhart