Genetic Algorithm Input Selection

Application of a genetic algorithm to determine an "optimal" set of input variables, by constructing binary masks which indicate which inputs to retain and which to discard (Goldberg, 1989). This method is implemented in STATISTICA Neural Networks and can be used as part of a model building process where variables identified as the most "relevant" (in STATISTICA Neural Networks) are then used in a traditional model building stage of the analysis (e.g., using a linear regression or nonlinear estimation method).