Hybrid genetic algorithm with an adaptive penalty function for fitting multimodal experimental data: application to exchange-coupled non-Kramers binuclear iron active sites.

A Genetic Algorithm (GA) is a stochastic optimization technique based on the mechanisms of biological evolution. These algorithms have been successfully applied in many fields to solve a variety of complex nonlinear problems. While they have been used with some success in chemical problems such as fitting spectroscopic and kinetic data, many have avoided their use due to the unconstrained nature of the fitting process.