[Apologies for multiple copies]

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IEEE Transactions on Evolutionary Computation:
Special Issue on Theoretical Foundations of Evolutionary Computation
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CALL FOR PAPERS

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I. AIM AND SCOPE
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Evolutionary computation (EC) methods such as evolutionary algorithms, 
ant colony optimization and artificial immune systems have been 
successfully applied to a wide range of problems. These include classical 
combinatorial optimization problems and a variety of continuous, discrete 
and mixed integer real-world optimization problems that are often hard to 
optimize by traditional methods (e.g., because they are non-linear, highly 
constrained, multi-objective, etc.). In contrast to the successful 
applications, there is still a need to understand the behaviour of these 
algorithms. The achievement and development of a solid theory of bio-inspired 
computation techniques is important as it provides sound knowledge on their 
working principles. In particular, it explains the success or the failure of 
these methods in practical applications. Theoretical analyses lead to the 
understanding of which problems are optimized (or approximated) efficiently 
by a given algorithm and which ones are not. The benefits of theoretical 
understanding for practitioners are threefold. 

1) Aiding algorithm design, 
2) guiding the choice of the best algorithm for the problem at hand and 
3) determining optimal parameter settings.  

The aim of this special issue is to advance the theoretical understanding of 
evolutionary computation methods. We solicit novel, high quality scientific 
contributions on theoretical or foundational aspects of evolutionary 
computation. A successful exchange between theory and practice in evolutionary 
computation is very desirable and papers bridging theory and practice are of 
particular interest. In addition to strict mathematical investigations, 
experimental studies strengthening the theoretical foundations of evolutionary 
computation methods are very welcome. 

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II. THEMES
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This special issue will present novel results from different sub-areas of the 
theory of bio-inspired algorithms. The scope of this special issue includes 
(but is not limited to) the following topics: 

-Exact and approximation runtime analysis
-Black box complexity
-Self-adaptation 
-Population dynamics
-Fitness landscape and problem difficulty analysis
-No free lunch theorems
-Theoretical Foundations of combining traditional optimization techniques with EC methods 
-Statistical approaches for understanding the behaviour of bio-inspired heuristics
-Computational studies of a foundational nature 

All classes of bio-inspired optimization algorithms will be considered including 
(but not limited to) evolutionary algorithms, ant colony optimization, artificial 
immune systems, particle swarm optimization, differential evolution, and estimation 
of distribution algorithms. All problem domains will be considered including discrete 
and continuous optimization, single-objective and multi-objective optimization, 
constraint handling, dynamic and stochastic optimization, co-evolution and 
evolutionary learning.  

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III. SUBMISSION
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Manuscripts should be prepared according to the “Information for Authors” 
section of the journal found at http://ieee-cis.org/pubs/tec/authors/ and 
submissions should be made through the journal submission website: 
http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/tevc-ieee/, by selecting the Manuscript Type 
of “TFoEC Special Issue Papers” and clearly adding “TFoEC Special Issue Paper” 
to the comments to the Editor-in-Chief.

Submitted papers will be reviewed by at least three different expert reviewers. 
Submission of a manuscript implies that it is the authors’ original unpublished 
work and is not being submitted for possible publication elsewhere.

Each submission will contain at least one paragraph explaining why the paper is  
(potentially) relevant to practice.

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IV. IMPORTANT DATES
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Submission open:             February 1, 2018
Submission deadline:             October 1, 2018
Tentative publication date:        2019

Papers will be assigned to reviewers as soon as they are submitted. 
Papers will be published online as soon as they are accepted.

For further information, please contact one of the following Guest Editors.

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V. GUEST EDITORS
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Pietro S. Oliveto
Department of Computer Science
University of Sheffield
United Kingdom
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Anne Auger
INRIA
Ecole Polytechnique Paris
France
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Francisco Chicano
Department of Languages and Computing Sciences
University of Malaga
Spain
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Carlos M. Fonseca
Department of Informatics Engineering
University of Coimbra
Portugal
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