Class-based distributed evolutionary algorithm for asset management and trading

A server computer system for use with a plurality of client computers each assigned to a respective class, comprising:

• a memory accessible to the server computer system and storing a server candidate pool having a plurality of individuals, each individual identifying a plurality of indicators and at least one corresponding action in dependence upon the indicators, each of the classes being associated with a respective subset of indicators in a plurality of indicators, not all of the subsets being the same;
• a communications port through which the server computer system receives individuals from the client computers, including a first subset of the individuals all received from a first one of the classes;
• and
• a processor configured to:
• determine whether the first class satisfies a predetermined convergence condition, and if so then to merge the first class with a second one of the classes to derive a merged class, at least some of the client computers that were assigned to the first class being re-assigned to the merged class, and
• transmit to the client computers for further evaluation, each individual in the first subset of the received individuals;
• wherein each individual in the first subset transmitted for further evaluation is transmitted for further evaluation to:
• a client computer in the first class, if the first class did not satisfy the predetermined convergence condition, and
• a client computer in the merged class, if the first class did satisfy the predetermined convergence condition.