Genetic algorithms in the Battlespace Terrain Reasoning and Awareness-Battle Command (Btra-Bc) battle engine

• Main Author: Maroon, Kenneth J.
• Other Authors: Blais, Curtis
• Published: Monterey, California: Naval Postgraduate School 2012
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10945/4543

Approved for public release, distribution unlimited === Approved for public release, distribution unlimited === The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Research and Development Center's (ERDC) Battlespace Terrain Reasoning and Awareness-Battle Command (BTRA-BC) Battle Engine (BBE) is a tool that enables command staffs to semi-automate the creation and evaluation of potential courses of action (COA) for use in military planning. The BBE uses data generated during the initial steps of the Military Decision Making Process (MDMP) and a genetic algorithm to produce and evaluate a population of COAs. This thesis provides a basic background of both the MDMP and genetic algorithms. It describes the features of the BBE and the parameters that control its genetic algorithm. The thesis describes an experiment to test the genetic algorithm parameter effects on the BBE search results. The results of this experiment and research are used to provide recommendations to improve the performance and functionality of the BBE.