This article proposes offline language-free writer identification based on speeded-up robust features (SURF), goes through training, enrollment, and identification stages. In all stages, an isotropic Box filter is first used to segment the handwritten text image into word regions (WRs). Then, the SURF descriptors (SUDs) of word region and the corresponding scales and orientations (SOs) are extr...

We introduce a parallel version of hierarchical evolutionary re-combination (herc) and use it to evolve programs for ten standard string processing tasks and a postfix calculator emulation task. Each processor maintains a separate evolutionary niche, with its own ladder of competing agents and codebank of potential mates. Further enhancements include evolution of multi-cell programs and increme...