When
3:30 PM Saturday
Where
5502
Silicon Valley Code Camp : October 6th and 7th, 2012session

Bumblebee: an Artificial Bee Colony algorithm in F#

unassigned

About This Session

Sometime in 2010, after years of C# development, I discovered F#, and found programming in a functional style both tricky and fun. Inspired by an article on Artificial Bee Colony algorithms, an optimization algorithm based on the intelligent foraging behaviour of honey bee swarms, I decided as a learning project to convert it from C# into a F# library, Bumblebee, which is available open-source at http://bumblebee.codeplex.com. In this talk, I want to do 4 things: 1) cover the basics of Artificial Bee Colony algorithms, and illustrate what problems it can help solve, 2) solve a problem together with Bumblebee, and use it as a F# primer, 3) open the hood and discuss some of the design aspects (making the API both F# and C# friendly, using the Task Parallel Library for parallelism, using OO and functional styles together, unit testing...) 4) share my learning experience transitioning from a C#-mindset to thinking F#. This talk is particularly relevant for C# developers who are F#-curious! Knowing F# beforehand is not required, but a certain comfort with functional concepts (e.g. LINQ in C#) will help.

Time: 3:30 PM Saturday    Room: 5502 

The Speaker(s)

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Mathias Brandewinder

I write code , Clear Lines Consulting

Figuring out things, one model at a time. F# globe-trotter.