This document provides an overview of genetic algorithms. It begins with an introduction to genetic algorithms, noting they were developed in the 1970s, inspired by Darwinian evolution. It then describes key features of genetic algorithms, including that they maintain a population of solutions, use reproduction, mutation and crossover to create new populations, and favor fitter solutions. The document discusses various methods for population selection, including roulette wheel selection, rank selection and tournament selection. It also covers the anatomy of a genetic algorithm and provides a simple example to maximize x2 to demonstrate the genetic algorithm process.