Ask HN: Are genetic algorithms a branch of unsupervised learning? - max_
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jordancampbell
Yep!

Learning algorithms typically find parameters that relate the input to some
output.

Genetic algorithms are just a collection of methods that describe how to
search through parameter space.

Supervised learning algorithms are ones for which we have some known labels on
our inputs (known outputs), whereas in unsupervised learning we don't have any
known outputs. Regardless, in both cases we need to learn the parameters that
relate the input to the output.

Genetic algorithms can therefore be both supervised or unsupervised.

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max_
Does it go both ways(supervised or unsupervised) for the case where I randomly
generate my own population and make it evolve into what I anticipate through
generations ?

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sharemywin
I would think your fitness function is your supervised signal.

