Speaker: Joe Kern, Georgia Institute of Technology.

The genetic algorithm is a computer algorithm inspired by nature: selecting parents of a generation via some fitness function, crossing-over the parent genes (reproduction), and randomly mutating the genes of the children. In this talk, we will explore how this algorithm can be used for materials discovery by: 1. Generating swift material property prediction using machine learning (ML) 2. Creating an algorithm to design new materials from combinations of prior ones 3. Integrating the ML property predictors with the design algorithm to discover new materials PolyGA, an implementation of the genetic algorithm for the polymer domain, will be used as the basis for this exploration.