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Search-based software engineering
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<p> Search-based software engineering (SBSE) applies <a href="/facts/Metaheuristic/ECF71Rez">metaheuristic</a> search techniques such as <a href="/facts/Genetic_algorithms/WP2AFWuW">genetic algorithms</a>, <a href="/facts/Simulated_annealing/JCmHqd3t">simulated annealing</a> and <a href="/facts/Tabu_search/olw8qTSl">tabu search</a> to <a href="/facts/Software_engineering/KX6cE9kz">software engineering</a> problems. Many activities in <a href="/facts/Software_engineering/KX6cE9kz">software engineering</a> can be stated as <a href="/facts/Optimization_(mathematics)/oRn8Iv5I">optimization</a> problems. <a href="/facts/Optimization_(mathematics)/oRn8Iv5I">Optimization</a> techniques of <a href="/facts/Operations_research/H5yJkV5n">operations research</a> such as <a href="/facts/Linear_programming/GduXFQxT">linear programming</a> or <a href="/facts/Dynamic_programming/CLcabtmk">dynamic programming</a> are often impractical for large scale <a href="/facts/Software_engineering/KX6cE9kz">software engineering</a> problems because of their <a href="/facts/Computational_complexity_theory/etHuVF3U">computational complexity</a> or their assumptions on the problem structure. Researchers and practitioners use <a href="/facts/Metaheuristic/ECF71Rez">metaheuristic</a> search techniques, which impose little assumptions on the problem structure, to find near-optimal or "good-enough" solutions. </p><p>SBSE problems can be divided into two types: </p> <ul><li>black-box optimization problems, for example, assigning people to tasks (a typical <a href="/facts/Combinatorial_optimization/PTcloS79">combinatorial optimization</a> problem).</li> <li>white-box problems where operations on source code need to be considered.</li></ul>