seniorGenetic Algorithms
What is gene linkage in Genetic Algorithms?
Updated May 16, 2026
Short answer
Gene linkage refers to dependency between genes that should be inherited together.
Deep explanation
In many problems, certain genes form groups that jointly affect fitness. Disrupting these linkages during crossover reduces performance. Linkage learning GA attempts to identify and preserve these dependencies.
Real-world example
In scheduling, certain tasks must remain grouped together.
Common mistakes
- Using naive crossover that breaks useful gene groups.
Follow-up questions
- What is linkage learning GA?
- How to preserve linkage?