Merge pull request #195 from githubnext/copilot/rename-alphaevolve-to-openevolve

mrjf · web-flow · commit 5aec3dc35e71 · 2026-04-22T23:05:54.000-07:00
Rename AlphaEvolve strategy to OpenEvolve and credit the inspiration
diff --git a/.autoloop/programs/tsb-perf-evolve/code/README.md b/.autoloop/programs/tsb-perf-evolve/code/README.md
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ This directory holds the **fixed inputs** for the program: the benchmark scripts
 
 ## Files
 
-- `config.yaml` — tunables read by the AlphaEvolve playbook (`exploitation_ratio`, `num_islands`, `population_size`, `archive_size`, dataset size).
+- `config.yaml` — tunables read by the OpenEvolve playbook (`exploitation_ratio`, `num_islands`, `population_size`, `archive_size`, dataset size).
 - `benchmark.ts` — tsb-side benchmark. Builds a Series of `dataset_size` random floats with ~5% NaN, calls `sortValues` in a tight loop, prints `{"function": "Series.sortValues", "mean_ms": …, "iterations": …, "total_ms": …}`.
 - `benchmark.py` — pandas-side benchmark. Builds an equivalent `pd.Series`, calls `.sort_values()` in the same loop structure, prints the same JSON shape.
 
diff --git a/.autoloop/programs/tsb-perf-evolve/code/config.yaml b/.autoloop/programs/tsb-perf-evolve/code/config.yaml
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# AlphaEvolve tunables — read by strategy/alphaevolve.md every iteration.
+# OpenEvolve tunables — read by strategy/openevolve.md every iteration.
 
 # Operator weights. Must sum to 1.0. Defaults bias toward exploitation.
 exploitation_ratio: 0.50
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ crossover_ratio: 0.15
 migration_ratio: 0.05
 
 # Island count. Should match the number of islands enumerated in
-# strategy/alphaevolve.md's "Pick parent(s)" section.
+# strategy/openevolve.md's "Pick parent(s)" section.
 num_islands: 5
 
 # MAP-Elites population caps.
diff --git a/.autoloop/programs/tsb-perf-evolve/program.md b/.autoloop/programs/tsb-perf-evolve/program.md
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ Concretely, we minimize the **ratio**
 
 `fitness < 1.0` means tsb is faster than pandas; lower is better. We will keep iterating as long as fitness keeps improving.
 
-This is a **performance-evolution program** — there is one self-contained artifact (`Series.sortValues`), one scalar fitness (the ratio), and many plausible algorithmic families to try (comparison sort, typed-array indirect sort, dtype-dispatched non-comparison sort, batched/SoA, etc.). It is the canonical case for the AlphaEvolve strategy.
+This is a **performance-evolution program** — there is one self-contained artifact (`Series.sortValues`), one scalar fitness (the ratio), and many plausible algorithmic families to try (comparison sort, typed-array indirect sort, dtype-dispatched non-comparison sort, batched/SoA, etc.). It is the canonical case for the OpenEvolve strategy.
 
 ### Validity invariants
 
@@ -43,10 +43,10 @@ Do NOT modify:
 
 ## Evolution Strategy
 
-This program uses the **AlphaEvolve** strategy. On every iteration, read `strategy/alphaevolve.md` and follow it literally — it supersedes the generic analyze/accept/reject steps in the default autoloop loop.
+This program uses the **OpenEvolve** strategy (modeled on [openevolve](https://github.com/algorithmicsuperintelligence/openevolve)). On every iteration, read `strategy/openevolve.md` and follow it literally — it supersedes the generic analyze/accept/reject steps in the default autoloop loop.
 
 Support files:
-- `strategy/alphaevolve.md` — the runtime playbook (operators, parent selection, population rules).
+- `strategy/openevolve.md` — the runtime playbook (operators, parent selection, population rules).
 - `strategy/prompts/mutation.md` — framing for exploitation and exploration operators.
 - `strategy/prompts/crossover.md` — framing for crossover and migration operators.
 
diff --git a/.autoloop/programs/tsb-perf-evolve/strategy/openevolve.md b/.autoloop/programs/tsb-perf-evolve/strategy/openevolve.md
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# AlphaEvolve Strategy — tsb-perf-evolve
+# OpenEvolve Strategy — tsb-perf-evolve
 
 This file is the **runtime playbook** for this program. The autoloop agent reads it at the start of every iteration and follows it literally. It supersedes the generic "Analyze and Propose" / "Accept or Reject" steps in the default autoloop iteration loop — all other steps (state read, branch management, state file updates) still apply.
 
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ Append a new entry to the `## 🧬 Population` subsection in the state file usin
 
 ### Step 8. Fold through to the default loop
 
-Continue with the normal autoloop Step 5 (Accept or Reject → commit / discard, update state file's Machine State, Iteration History, Lessons Learned, etc.) as defined in the workflow. The only additional requirements from AlphaEvolve are:
+Continue with the normal autoloop Step 5 (Accept or Reject → commit / discard, update state file's Machine State, Iteration History, Lessons Learned, etc.) as defined in the workflow. The only additional requirements from OpenEvolve are:
 
 - The Iteration History entry must include `operator`, `parent_id(s)`, `island`, and `fitness` fields (in addition to the normal status/change/metric/notes).
 - Lessons Learned additions should be phrased as *transferable heuristics* about the problem space, not as reports of what this iteration did. (E.g. "Indirect sort over `Uint32Array` indices beats object-pair sort above n≈10k" — not "Iteration 17 tried indirect sort.")
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ The population lives in the state file `tsb-perf-evolve.md` on the `memory/autol
 ```markdown
 ## 🧬 Population
 
-> 🤖 *Managed by the AlphaEvolve strategy. One entry per candidate that has been evaluated (accepted or rejected). Newest first.*
+> 🤖 *Managed by the OpenEvolve strategy. One entry per candidate that has been evaluated (accepted or rejected). Newest first.*
 
 ### Candidate <id>  ·  island <n>  ·  fitness <score>  ·  gen <iter>
 
diff --git a/.autoloop/programs/tsb-perf-evolve/strategy/prompts/crossover.md b/.autoloop/programs/tsb-perf-evolve/strategy/prompts/crossover.md
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # Crossover & Migration prompt — tsb-perf-evolve
 
-You are about to apply a **two-parent operator** — either crossover (combine ideas from parents on different islands) or migration (graft a technique that works on one island into a solution on another). This file frames how to reason about that change. Use it together with `strategy/alphaevolve.md`.
+You are about to apply a **two-parent operator** — either crossover (combine ideas from parents on different islands) or migration (graft a technique that works on one island into a solution on another). This file frames how to reason about that change. Use it together with `strategy/openevolve.md`.
 
 ## What these operators are for
 
diff --git a/.autoloop/programs/tsb-perf-evolve/strategy/prompts/mutation.md b/.autoloop/programs/tsb-perf-evolve/strategy/prompts/mutation.md
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # Mutation prompt — tsb-perf-evolve
 
-You are about to apply a **single-parent operator** — either exploitation (refine an elite) or exploration (try something new in an under-represented island). This file frames how to reason about that change. Use it together with `strategy/alphaevolve.md`.
+You are about to apply a **single-parent operator** — either exploitation (refine an elite) or exploration (try something new in an under-represented island). This file frames how to reason about that change. Use it together with `strategy/openevolve.md`.
 
 ## What this operator is for
 
diff --git a/.autoloop/strategies/openevolve/CUSTOMIZE.md b/.autoloop/strategies/openevolve/CUSTOMIZE.md
@@ -1,19 +1,21 @@
-# Adopting the AlphaEvolve strategy for a new program
+# Adopting the OpenEvolve strategy for a new program
 
-This file is a **creator-time guide** — it is read by the maintainer (or a "create program" agent) **once**, when authoring a new program that wants to use AlphaEvolve. It is **not** copied into the program's `strategy/` directory and is **not** read by the iteration agent at runtime.
+> **Inspiration.** This strategy is modeled on [OpenEvolve](https://github.com/algorithmicsuperintelligence/openevolve) — an open-source implementation of the evolutionary-code-search approach popularized by DeepMind's AlphaEvolve paper. We've adapted the core ideas (MAP-Elites niching, island model, four operators — exploitation / exploration / crossover / migration) into a playbook the autoloop agent follows at iteration time. Consult the OpenEvolve repo for background on the underlying algorithm and worked examples.
 
-If you are an iteration agent and have somehow ended up here: stop, go back to `strategy/alphaevolve.md` in the program directory, and follow that.
+This file is a **creator-time guide** — it is read by the maintainer (or a "create program" agent) **once**, when authoring a new program that wants to use OpenEvolve. It is **not** copied into the program's `strategy/` directory and is **not** read by the iteration agent at runtime.
 
-## When to pick AlphaEvolve
+If you are an iteration agent and have somehow ended up here: stop, go back to `strategy/openevolve.md` in the program directory, and follow that.
 
-AlphaEvolve is the right strategy when **all** of the following are true:
+## When to pick OpenEvolve
+
+OpenEvolve is the right strategy when **all** of the following are true:
 
 - The target is a **self-contained artifact** — a single function, a single file, a config blob — that can be replaced atomically each iteration.
 - Fitness is a **scalar metric** the evaluator can produce in a few seconds to a few minutes (lower or higher is better — pick one).
-- There are **multiple plausible algorithmic families**, not just one obvious approach with knobs to tune. AlphaEvolve's island model is wasted if everything collapses to one family.
-- Iterations are **independent** — a candidate's fitness does not depend on the previous candidate's state. (If you need to *accumulate* changes, use the default loop, not AlphaEvolve.)
+- There are **multiple plausible algorithmic families**, not just one obvious approach with knobs to tune. OpenEvolve's island model is wasted if everything collapses to one family.
+- Iterations are **independent** — a candidate's fitness does not depend on the previous candidate's state. (If you need to *accumulate* changes, use the default loop, not OpenEvolve.)
 
-If the program is "add another test", "port another feature", or any kind of coverage / accumulation task — **do not use AlphaEvolve**. Use the default loop.
+If the program is "add another test", "port another feature", or any kind of coverage / accumulation task — **do not use OpenEvolve**. Use the default loop.
 
 ## Steps to adopt
 
@@ -22,15 +24,15 @@ If the program is "add another test", "port another feature", or any kind of cov
 
    ```bash
    mkdir -p .autoloop/programs/<program-name>/strategy/prompts
-   cp .autoloop/strategies/alphaevolve/strategy.md \
-      .autoloop/programs/<program-name>/strategy/alphaevolve.md
-   cp .autoloop/strategies/alphaevolve/prompts/mutation.md \
+   cp .autoloop/strategies/openevolve/strategy.md \
+      .autoloop/programs/<program-name>/strategy/openevolve.md
+   cp .autoloop/strategies/openevolve/prompts/mutation.md \
       .autoloop/programs/<program-name>/strategy/prompts/mutation.md
-   cp .autoloop/strategies/alphaevolve/prompts/crossover.md \
+   cp .autoloop/strategies/openevolve/prompts/crossover.md \
       .autoloop/programs/<program-name>/strategy/prompts/crossover.md
    ```
 
-3. Resolve every `<CUSTOMIZE: …>` marker in `strategy/alphaevolve.md` and the two prompt files. See the marker-by-marker guidance below.
+3. Resolve every `<CUSTOMIZE: …>` marker in `strategy/openevolve.md` and the two prompt files. See the marker-by-marker guidance below.
 4. Add the `## Evolution Strategy` pointer block to `program.md` (template below).
 5. Sanity-check: `grep -R "<CUSTOMIZE" .autoloop/programs/<program-name>/strategy/` should return **nothing**.
 
@@ -41,10 +43,10 @@ Replace (or add) `program.md`'s `## Evolution Strategy` section with exactly thi
 ```markdown
 ## Evolution Strategy
 
-This program uses the **AlphaEvolve** strategy. On every iteration, read `strategy/alphaevolve.md` and follow it literally — it supersedes the generic analyze/accept/reject steps in the default autoloop loop.
+This program uses the **OpenEvolve** strategy. On every iteration, read `strategy/openevolve.md` and follow it literally — it supersedes the generic analyze/accept/reject steps in the default autoloop loop.
 
 Support files:
-- `strategy/alphaevolve.md` — the runtime playbook (operators, parent selection, population rules).
+- `strategy/openevolve.md` — the runtime playbook (operators, parent selection, population rules).
 - `strategy/prompts/mutation.md` — framing for exploitation and exploration operators.
 - `strategy/prompts/crossover.md` — framing for crossover and migration operators.
 
@@ -55,7 +57,7 @@ Population state lives in the state file on the `memory/autoloop` branch under t
 
 ### `strategy.md` markers
 
-- **`# AlphaEvolve Strategy — <CUSTOMIZE: program-name>`** — the program name as it appears in the file path.
+- **`# OpenEvolve Strategy — <CUSTOMIZE: program-name>`** — the program name as it appears in the file path.
 - **`## Problem framing`** — 2–4 sentences. State the artifact, the fitness function, and the validity invariants. The agent reads this every iteration; make it dense.
 - **Operator weight table** — only change defaults if you have a strong prior. The defaults bias toward exploitation, which is right for most perf problems.
 - **Islands** — the most important thing to get right. Pick 3–6 **algorithmic families** that span the design space. Examples:
diff --git a/.autoloop/strategies/openevolve/prompts/crossover.md b/.autoloop/strategies/openevolve/prompts/crossover.md
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # Crossover & Migration prompt — <CUSTOMIZE: program-name>
 
-You are about to apply a **two-parent operator** — either crossover (combine ideas from parents on different islands) or migration (graft a technique that works on one island into a solution on another). This file frames how to reason about that change. Use it together with `strategy/alphaevolve.md`.
+You are about to apply a **two-parent operator** — either crossover (combine ideas from parents on different islands) or migration (graft a technique that works on one island into a solution on another). This file frames how to reason about that change. Use it together with `strategy/openevolve.md`.
 
 ## What these operators are for
 
diff --git a/.autoloop/strategies/openevolve/prompts/mutation.md b/.autoloop/strategies/openevolve/prompts/mutation.md
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # Mutation prompt — <CUSTOMIZE: program-name>
 
-You are about to apply a **single-parent operator** — either exploitation (refine an elite) or exploration (try something new in an under-represented island). This file frames how to reason about that change. Use it together with `strategy/alphaevolve.md`.
+You are about to apply a **single-parent operator** — either exploitation (refine an elite) or exploration (try something new in an under-represented island). This file frames how to reason about that change. Use it together with `strategy/openevolve.md`.
 
 ## What this operator is for
 
diff --git a/.autoloop/strategies/openevolve/strategy.md b/.autoloop/strategies/openevolve/strategy.md
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
-# AlphaEvolve Strategy — <CUSTOMIZE: program-name>
+# OpenEvolve Strategy — <CUSTOMIZE: program-name>
+
+> **Inspiration.** This strategy is modeled on [OpenEvolve](https://github.com/algorithmicsuperintelligence/openevolve) — an open-source implementation of the evolutionary-code-search approach popularized by DeepMind's AlphaEvolve paper. We've adapted the core ideas (MAP-Elites niching, island model, four operators — exploitation / exploration / crossover / migration) into a playbook the autoloop agent follows at iteration time. Consult the OpenEvolve repo for background on the underlying algorithm and worked examples.
 
 This file is the **runtime playbook** for this program. The autoloop agent reads it at the start of every iteration and follows it literally. It supersedes the generic "Analyze and Propose" / "Accept or Reject" steps in the default autoloop iteration loop — all other steps (state read, branch management, state file updates) still apply.
 
@@ -84,7 +86,7 @@ Append a new entry to the `## 🧬 Population` subsection in the state file usin
 
 ### Step 8. Fold through to the default loop
 
-Continue with the normal autoloop Step 5 (Accept or Reject → commit / discard, update state file's Machine State, Iteration History, Lessons Learned, etc.) as defined in the workflow. The only additional requirements from AlphaEvolve are:
+Continue with the normal autoloop Step 5 (Accept or Reject → commit / discard, update state file's Machine State, Iteration History, Lessons Learned, etc.) as defined in the workflow. The only additional requirements from OpenEvolve are:
 
 - The Iteration History entry must include `operator`, `parent_id(s)`, `island`, and `fitness` fields (in addition to the normal status/change/metric/notes).
 - Lessons Learned additions should be phrased as *transferable heuristics* about the problem space, not as reports of what this iteration did. (E.g. "Hex layouts dominate grid layouts above n=20" — not "Iteration 17 tried a hex layout.")
@@ -107,7 +109,7 @@ The population lives in the state file `{program-name}.md` on the `memory/autolo
 ```markdown
 ## 🧬 Population
 
-> 🤖 *Managed by the AlphaEvolve strategy. One entry per candidate that has been evaluated (accepted or rejected). Newest first.*
+> 🤖 *Managed by the OpenEvolve strategy. One entry per candidate that has been evaluated (accepted or rejected). Newest first.*
 
 ### Candidate <id>  ·  island <n>  ·  fitness <score>  ·  gen <iter>
 
diff --git a/.autoloop/strategies/test-driven/CUSTOMIZE.md b/.autoloop/strategies/test-driven/CUSTOMIZE.md
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ Test-Driven is the right strategy when **all** of the following are true:
 - Iterations **accumulate**: each iteration pins one more behaviour (or fixes one more bug), and the work product grows monotonically. You're not searching for a single best artifact; you're building up a body of pinned behaviour.
 - There exists a **source of truth** the agent can consult when ambiguity arises (a reference implementation, a spec document, an issue with a reproducer, etc.).
 
-If the program is "make this faster" or "minimize this scalar", **do not use Test-Driven**. Use AlphaEvolve (`.autoloop/strategies/alphaevolve/`).
+If the program is "make this faster" or "minimize this scalar", **do not use Test-Driven**. Use OpenEvolve (`.autoloop/strategies/openevolve/`).
 
 If the program is genuinely "do whatever the agent thinks is best", neither strategy fits — use the default loop.
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/autoloop.md b/.github/workflows/autoloop.md
@@ -349,7 +349,7 @@ Each run executes **one iteration for the single selected program**:
 Before executing the generic iteration loop below, check whether this program has opted into a specialized strategy:
 
 1. Read `<program-dir>/program.md` and look for a `## Evolution Strategy` section.
-2. If that section points to a strategy file — e.g., "This program uses the **AlphaEvolve** strategy. Read `strategy/alphaevolve.md` at the start of every iteration and follow it literally." — read the referenced file and follow it.
+2. If that section points to a strategy file — e.g., "This program uses the **OpenEvolve** strategy. Read `strategy/openevolve.md` at the start of every iteration and follow it literally." — read the referenced file and follow it.
 3. The strategy playbook **supersedes** the generic "Step 2: Analyze" through "Step 5: Accept or Reject" steps below. The other steps (state read, branch management, state file updates, CI gating) still apply.
 4. If `## Evolution Strategy` is absent, contains only prose, or points to a file that does not exist, fall back to the default iteration flow below.
 
