2006 IRISH SCIENTIST YEAR BOOK

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University College Dublin
Michael O'Neill & Anthony Brabazon
Nature teaches computers how to solve real-world problems

UCD's Natural Computing Research and Applications Group (NCRA) is an interdisciplinary group located in the UCD School of Computer Science & Informatics and the UCD School of Business.

Drawing inspiration from a wide array of natural mechanisms including biological evolution, the workings of the central nervous system, the human immune system, and models of social interaction, Dr Michael O'Neill (UCD School of Computer Science & Informatics) and Dr Anthony Brabazon (UCD School of Business) use biologically inspired algorithms to tackle real-word problems.

The NCRA is undertaking both basic and applied research in natural computing. The developed computer systems can be used in many areas including bioinformatics, telecommunications, operations research, engineering and business. The website ( http://ncra.ucd.ie ) provides more information about the group's activities.

UCD's NCRA researchers recently demonstrated how biologically inspired algorithms can help financial modelling. Predicting the future for financial gain is a difficult, sometimes profitable activity. NCRA researchers have turned to nature to develop computer-driven financial models that help develop successful trading strategies and assess credit risk.

According to Dr Anthony Brabazon, "nature has evolved and fine-tuned biological systems over many millions of years. We can draw on this learning by taking ideas from biological systems and combining them with computers to create powerful problem solvers."


These algorithms can be applied in financial modelling and in the development of trading systems. "Financial markets represent a complex, ever-changing, environment in which a population of investors competes for profit. Biological entities have long inhabited such environments, and have competed for resources to ensure their survival. It is natural to turn to algorithms which are inspired by biological processes to tackle the task of survival in a financial jungle." said Dr O'Neill.

The founders and directors of UCD's NCRA, Dr Michael O'Neill and Dr Anthony Brabazon, have just published a book on how to apply natural computing to financial modelling. "Biologically Inspired Algorithms for Financial Modelling," published by Springer, is aimed at two audiences: those in the finance community and those in the computer science community and does not require prior knowledge of either biologically inspired algorithms or of financial prediction.

Contact: Dr. Michael O'Neill,
School of Computer Science & Informatics, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4.
Tel: +353 1 716 2906
Web: http://ncra.ucd.ie