Genetic Programming — To much P and not enough G?

This paper re-visits the minesweeper problem, one of the problems used by Koza in his 1994 book, Genetic Programming II, Advances in Genetic Programming. The minesweeper problem was one of the many problems used to demonstrate how the Automatically Defined Function methodology could solve problems not able to be solved (in this case) with a no function GP. By taking advantage of advances in computing power it has become easier to allow the problem to run for many more generations. If this is done it is seen that the no function version easily outperforms the ADF alternative. A variation to the problem, which might require a more general-purpose minesweeper to be evolved (rather than one which can learn two maps) is examined and it appears that the ADF methodology solves this alternative problem more readily than the no function version.