Nonlinear Inversion of Potential-Field Data Using an Improved Genetic Algorithm

The genetic algorithm is useful for solving an inversion of complex nonlinear geophysical equations. The multi-point search of the genetic algorithm makes it easier to find a globally optimal solution and avoid falling into a local extremum. The search efficiency of the genetic algorithm is a key to producing successful solutions in a huge multi-parameter model space. The encoding mechanism of the genetic algorithm affects the searching processes in the evolution. Not all genetic operations perform perfectly in a search under either a binary or decimal encoding system. As such, a standard genetic algorithm (SGA) is sometimes unable to resolve an optimization problem such as a simple geophysical inversion. With the binary encoding system the operation of the crossover may produce more new individuals. The decimal encoding system, on the other hand, makes the mutation generate more new genes. This paper discusses approaches of exploiting the search potentials of genetic operations with different encoding systems and presents a hybrid-encoding mechanism for the genetic algorithm. This is referred to as the hybrid-encoding genetic algorithm (HEGA). The method is based on the routine in which the mutation operation is executed in decimal code and other operations in binary code. HEGA guarantees the birth of better genes by mutation processing with a high probability, so that it is beneficial for resolving the inversions of complicated problems. Synthetic and real-world examples demonstrate the advantages of using HEGA in the inversion of potential-field data.