evolveability

Evolveability refers to the capacity of a system, particularly a biological or artificial one, to undergo evolutionary change. In biological contexts, it is the inherent property of a genome or a population to generate novel variation that can be acted upon by natural selection. This involves mechanisms like mutation, recombination, and gene duplication, which introduce genetic diversity. A high evolveability does not guarantee that a lineage will adapt or thrive, but rather that it possesses the potential to do so through the generation of new traits.

In the realm of artificial intelligence and evolutionary computation, evolveability describes the design of algorithms or computational systems that can themselves evolve or adapt over time. This might involve systems that can modify their own parameters, structures, or even their underlying code in response to performance feedback or changing environmental conditions. The goal is to create systems that can improve their problem-solving abilities or become more robust without explicit human reprogramming for every new challenge. Evolveability is a key concept in understanding and engineering complex adaptive systems.