What is "genetic programming"

n. (context computing English) A search heuristic that explores the space of computer programs and is based on biological evolution.

In artificial intelligence, genetic programming (GP) is a technique whereby computer programs are encoded as a set of genes that are then modified (evolved) using an evolutionary algorithm (often a genetic algorithm). The result is a computer program able to perform well in a predefined task. Often confused to be a kind of genetic algorithm, GP can indeed be seen as an application of genetic algorithms to problems where each individual is a computer program. The methods used to encode a computer program in an artificial chromosome and to evaluate its fitness with respect to the predefined task are central in the GP technique and still the subject of active research.