f Traveltime and waveform fitting using genetic algorithms

Recently a new method of handling highly non-linear inverse problems has been devised in geophysics, Galled Genetic Algorithms. A Genetic Algoritlim can be classified as a global optimization technique, not depending on local curvature information of the objective function. The method is able to "learn" during its process, its only objective being to minimise the objective function. The learning proces is achieved by working with a population of models; this in contrast to crude Monte Carlo methods .