population-based search
nounUK /ˌpɒpjʊˈleɪʃən beɪst sɜːtʃ/
US /ˌpɑːpjəˈleɪʃən beɪst sɝːtʃ/
A way of finding answers by looking at many guesses all at once.
The computer used a population-based search to find the best path through the maze.
OTHER MEANINGS
2. A search method that improves a whole group of candidate solutions together over many rounds.
Population-based search often finds good solutions faster than checking one guess at a time.
3. An optimization technique inspired by nature, such as evolution or flocking behavior.
Researchers applied population-based search to tune the robot's walking pattern.
4. A strategy in which many possible answers are compared and the best ones are kept for the next step.
In population-based search, weak candidates are replaced by new ones each generation.