Using genetic algorithms to represent higher-level planning in simulation models of conflict

  • Authors:
  • James Moffat;Susan Fellows

  • Affiliations:
  • PCS Department, The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Fareham, UK;PCS Department, The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Fareham, UK

  • Venue:
  • Advances in Artificial Intelligence
  • Year:
  • 2010

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Abstract

The focus of warfare has shifted from the Industrial Age to the Information Age, as encapsulated by the term Network Enabled Capability. This emphasises information sharing, command decision-making, and the resultant plans made by commanders on the basis of that information. Planning by a higher level military commander is, in most cases, regarded as such a difficult process to emulate, that it is performed by a real commander during wargaming or during an experimental session based on a Synthetic Environment. Such an approach gives a rich representation of a small number of data points. However, a more complete analysis should allow search across a wider set of alternatives. This requires a closed-form version of such a simulation. In this paper, we discuss an approach to this problem, based on emulating the higher command process using a combination of game theory and genetic algorithms. This process was initially implemented in an exploratory research initiative, described here, and now forms the basis of the development of a "Mission Planner," potentially applicable to all of our higher level closed-form simulation models.