In optimization (a branch of mathematics), a candidate solution is a member of a set of possible solutions to a given problem. A candidate solution does not have to be a likely or reasonable solution to the problem. The space of all candidate solutions is called the feasible region, feasible set, search space, or solution space . In mathematics, the term optimization refers to the study of problems that have the form Given: a function f : A R from some set A to the real numbers Sought: an element x0 in A such that f(x0) ≤ f(x) for all x in A (minimization) or such that... Euclid, Greek mathematician, 3rd century BC, known today as the father of geometry; shown here in a detail of The School of Athens by Raphael. ... In mathematics, an element (also called a member) is an object contained in a set (or more generally a class). ... In mathematics, a set can be thought of as any collection of distinct things considered as a whole. ...

In the case of the genetic algorithm, the candidate solutions are the individuals in the population being evolved by the algorithm. A genetic algorithm (or short GA) is a search technique used in computing to find true or approximate solutions to optimization and search problems. ...