Weasel Program

#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <time.h>
#include <string.h>

int randomNumber(int high) {
    return rand() % high;
}

int generateOffspring(char* currentGen, int currentLen, char* letters, char** offspring, unsigned long children, int probability) {
    for (unsigned int i = 0; i < children; i++) {
        for (unsigned int c = 0; c < currentLen; c++) {
            if (randomNumber(probability) < 1) {
                offspring[i][c] = letters[randomNumber(27)];
            }
            else {
                offspring[i][c] = currentGen[c];
            }
        }
    }

    return 0;
}

int findLeastDistance(char* string, char** strings, int len, int count) {
    unsigned int matches = 0;
    unsigned int bestMatches = 0;
    unsigned int bestMatch = 0;

    for (unsigned int i = 0; i < count; i++) {
        for (unsigned int c = 0; c < len; c++) {
            if (string[c] == strings[i][c]) {
                matches++;
            }
        }

        if (matches > bestMatches) {
            bestMatches = matches;
            bestMatch = i;
        }

        matches = 0;
    }

    return bestMatch;
}

int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
    system("PAUSE");
    time_t t;
    srand((unsigned)time(&t));
    unsigned int probability;

    if (argc == 2) {
        probability = (int)argv[1];
    }
    else {
        probability = 10000;
    }

    unsigned int children = 100;

    char letters[] = "ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ ";
    char target[] = "METHINKS IT IS LIKE A WEASEL";
    char currentGen[29];

    for (unsigned int i = 0; i < 29; i++) {
        currentGen[i] = letters[randomNumber(27)];
    }

    char** offspring[children];

    for (unsigned int i = 0; i < children; i++) {
        offspring[i] = malloc(29);
    }

    unsigned int bestMutation;
    unsigned int counter = 0;

    for (;;) {
        generateOffspring(currentGen, 28, letters, offspring, children, probability);

        bestMutation = findLeastDistance(target, offspring, 28, children);

        if (strcmp(currentGen, offspring[bestMutation])) {
            printf("Gen %d: %s\n", counter, offspring[bestMutation]);
        }

        strcpy(currentGen, offspring[bestMutation]);

        if (!strcmp(currentGen, target)) {
            break;
        }

        counter++;
    }

    for (unsigned int i = 0; i < children; i++) {
        free(offspring[i]);
    }

    free(currentGen);

    printf("\nEnd\n");

    return 0;
}