The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (30 December 2018):

genetic algorithm
GA
genetic algorithms

   (GA) An evolutionary algorithm which generates each
   individual from some encoded form known as a "chromosome" or
   "genome".  Chromosomes are combined or mutated to breed new
   individuals.  "Crossover", the kind of recombination of
   chromosomes found in sexual reproduction in nature, is often
   also used in GAs.  Here, an offspring's chromosome is created
   by joining segments choosen alternately from each of two
   parents' chromosomes which are of fixed length.

   GAs are useful for multidimensional optimisation problems in
   which the chromosome can encode the values for the different
   variables being optimised.

   Illinois Genetic Algorithms Laboratory
   (http://GAL4.GE.UIUC.EDU/illigal.home.html) (IlliGAL).

   (1995-02-03)