mlsanityData to 7 Oct 2026

The CMA Evolution Strategy: A Tutorial

arXiv 1604.00772 ↗First posted 4 Apr 2016cs.LG stat.MLcited by 364

Not on the map. Why?

Abstract (arXiv)

This tutorial introduces the CMA Evolution Strategy (ES), where CMA stands for Covariance Matrix Adaptation. The CMA-ES is a stochastic, or randomized, method for real-parameter (continuous domain) optimization of non-linear, non-convex functions. We try to motivate and derive the algorithm from intuitive concepts and from requirements of non-linear, non-convex search in continuous domain.

Key facts. Cited by 364 papers in the map (data through 7 Oct 2026). First posted on arXiv 4 Apr 2016.

Builds on

No reference list yet.

Built on by

Cited by year (2026 to 7 Oct)

Citing papers per year: 2021: 42; 2022: 46; 2023: 48; 2024: 59; 2025: 85; 2026: 84.

364 papers.

Sort:

By area:

  1. 2022Black-Box Tuning for Language-Model-as-a-Servicecited by 254
  2. 2021Neural Symbolic Regression that Scalescited by 185
  3. 2021Maximum Entropy RL (Provably) Solves Some Robust RL Problemscited by 169
  4. 2023Tree-Structured Parzen Estimator: Understanding Its Algorithm Components and Their Roles for Better Empirical Performancecited by 143
  5. 2025Advances and Challenges in Foundation Agents: From Brain-Inspired Intelligence to Evolutionary, Collaborative, and Safe Systemscited by 125
  6. 2021Paint by Wordcited by 107
  7. 2021AutoFlow: Learning a Better Training Set for Optical Flowcited by 102
  8. 2021Constrained Graphic Layout Generation via Latent Optimizationcited by 83
  9. 2023Diffusion Models for Black-Box Optimizationcited by 75
  10. 2024Test-Time Model Adaptation with Only Forward Passescited by 74
  11. 2022Auditing Privacy Defenses in Federated Learning via Generative Gradient Leakagecited by 72
  12. 2021Differentiable Quality Diversitycited by 71
38 more
  1. 2023InstructZero: Efficient Instruction Optimization for Black-Box Large Language Modelscited by 68
  2. 2022A Survey on Model-based Reinforcement Learningcited by 65
  3. 2023MarioGPT: Open-Ended Text2Level Generation through Large Language Modelscited by 63
  4. 2021Unbiased Gradient Estimation in Unrolled Computation Graphs with Persistent Evolution Strategiescited by 52
  5. 2021Fast and Efficient Locomotion via Learned Gait Transitionscited by 50
  6. 2024COMBO: Compositional World Models for Embodied Multi-Agent Cooperationcited by 47
  7. 2024Training of Physical Neural Networkscited by 47
  8. 2022Approximate Differentiable Rendering with Algebraic Surfacescited by 44
  9. 2021LassoBench: A High-Dimensional Hyperparameter Optimization Benchmark Suite for Lassocited by 41
  10. 2022Differentiable Simulation of Soft Multi-body Systemscited by 39
  11. 2021Efficient Differentiable Simulation of Articulated Bodiescited by 38
  12. 2021On the Importance of Environments in Human-Robot Coordinationcited by 37
  13. 2022Approximating Gradients for Differentiable Quality Diversity in Reinforcement Learningcited by 37
  14. 2022Monte Carlo Tree Search based Variable Selection for High Dimensional Bayesian Optimizationcited by 37
  15. 2025What Drives Success in Physical Planning with Joint-Embedding Predictive World Models?cited by 37
  16. 2021Illuminating Diverse Neural Cellular Automata for Level Generationcited by 35
  17. 2023World Models and Predictive Coding for Cognitive and Developmental Robotics: Frontiers and Challengescited by 35
  18. 2021Bayesian Optimization of Function Networkscited by 33
  19. 2021Action-Sufficient State Representation Learning for Control with Structural Constraintscited by 31
  20. 2022Neural MoCon: Neural Motion Control for Physically Plausible Human Motion Capturecited by 31
  21. 2024Model-Based Diffusion for Trajectory Optimizationcited by 30
  22. 2022Discovering Many Diverse Solutions with Bayesian Optimizationcited by 29
  23. 2023pyribs: A Bare-Bones Python Library for Quality Diversity Optimizationcited by 29
  24. 2024LLMPhy: Parameter-Identifiable Physical Reasoning Combining Large Language Models and Physics Enginescited by 29
  25. 2023Gradient-Free Textual Inversioncited by 28
  26. 2022Safe Control Under Input Limits with Neural Control Barrier Functionscited by 27
  27. 2021Black-box Adversarial Attacks on Commercial Speech Platforms with Minimal Informationcited by 25
  28. 2023FedBPT: Efficient Federated Black-box Prompt Tuning for Large Language Modelscited by 25
  29. 2024Is Your LiDAR Placement Optimized for 3D Scene Understanding?cited by 25
  30. 2022Covariance Matrix Adaptation MAP-Annealingcited by 24
  31. 2022The Free Energy Principle for Perception and Action: A Deep Learning Perspectivecited by 24
  32. 2022CPG-RL: Learning Central Pattern Generators for Quadruped Locomotioncited by 24
  33. 2023Grounding Foundation Models through Federated Transfer Learning: A General Frameworkcited by 24
  34. 2025Eva-VLA: Evaluating Vision-Language-Action Models' Robustness Under Real-World Physical Variationscited by 24
  35. 2021Bayesian Optimization over Hybrid Spacescited by 23
  36. 2021Deep Reinforcement Learning Versus Evolution Strategies: A Comparative Surveycited by 23
  37. 2024Toward Automated Algorithm Design: A Survey and Practical Guide to Meta-Black-Box-Optimizationcited by 23
  38. 2026DeltaEvolve: Accelerating Scientific Discovery through Momentum-Driven Evolutioncited by 23

50 most cited of 364 All 364 (JSON)