The IUTAM Symposium on Evolutionary Methods in Mechanics was held in Cracow, Poland, September 24-27, 2002. The site of the S- posium was Cracow University of Technology. The Symposium was - tended by 50 persons from 18 countries. In addition, several Polish students, Ph. D. students and research associates participated in the meeting. The Symposium provided an excellent opportunity for scholars of - chanics, computer sciences and arti?cial intelligence to interact and - change their points of view on the advanced computational and appli- tion aspects of the evolutionary methods in analysis and design of - chanical systems. Recently evolutionary methods have become the most e?ective tools for solving speci?c kinds of problems in mechanics, es- cially in structural and multidisciplinary optimization. The meeting was devotedtoboththeoreticalandpracticaldevelopmentsofcomputational mechanics methods drawing their inspiration from nature with part- ular emphasis on evolutionary models of computation such as genetic algorithms, evolutionary strategies, classi?er systems, evolutionary p- gramming and other evolutionary computation techniques in mechanics. The objective of the Symposium was to provide an international forum forfacilitatingtheexchangeofinformationamongresearchersinvolvedin computational intelligence methods based on evolutionary nature. The Symposium put special emphasis on evolutionary optimization in va- ous?eldsof mechanics. Thesubject of evolutionary optimization has- cently experienced a remarkable growth. New concepts, approaches and applicationsarebeing continually developed and exploited to provide- ?cient tools for solving a variety of optimization problems in mechanics.

Evolutionary Computation in Crack Problems.- Investigation of Evolutionary Algorithm Effectiveness in Optimal Synthesis of Certain Mechanism.- Minimum Heat Losses Subjected to Stiffness Constraints: Window Frame Optimization.- Evolutionary Computation in Inverse Problems.- Hang-Glider Wing Design by Genetic Optimization.- An Error Function for Optimum Dimensional Synthesis of Mechanisms Using Genetic Algorithms.- Evolutionary Computation in Thermoelastic Problems.- Management of Evolutionary Mas for Multiobjective Optimisation.- PAMUC: A New Method to Handle With Constraints and Multiobjectivity in Evolutionary Algorithms.- A Comparative Analysis of "Controlled Elitism" in the NSGA-II Applied to Frame Optimization.- IS-PAES: Multiobjective Optimization with Efficient Constraint Handling.- Optimization of Aligned Fiber Laminate Composites.- Genetic Algorithm for Damage Assessment.- Estimation of Parameters for a Hydrodynamic Transmission System Mathematical Model with the Application of Genetic Algorithm.- Study of Safety of High-Rise Buildings Using Evolutionary Search.- Structural Design Using Genetic Algorithm.- The Topology Optimization Using Evolutionary Algorithms.- Identification of the CMM Parametric Errors by Hierarchical Genetic Strategy.- Genetic Algorithm for Fatigue Crack Detection in Timoshenko Beam.- Multicriteria Design Optimization of Robot Gripper Mechanisms.- Optimal Design of Multiple Clutch Brakes Using a Multistage Evolutionary Method.- Distributes Evolutionary Algorithms in Optimization of Nonlinear Solids.- Adaptive Penalty Strategies in Genetic Search for Problems with Inequality and Equality Constraints.- On the Identification of Linear Elastic Mechanical Behaviour of Orthotropic Materials Using Evolutionary Algorithms.- Ranking ParetoOptimal Solutions in Genetic Algorithm by Using the Undifferentiation Interval Method.- The Effectiveness of Probabilistic Algorithms in Shape and Topology Discrete Optimisation of 2-D Composite Structures.- Genetic Algorithms in Optimisation of Resin Hardening Technological Processes.- Hybrid Evolutionary Algorithms in Optimization of Structures under Dynamical Loads.- Evolutionary Optimization System (EOS) For Design Automation.- Evolutionary Method For a Universal Motor Geometry Optimization.- A Review of the Development and Application of Cluster Oriented Genetic Algorithms.- Genetic Algorithm Optimization of Hole Shapes in a Perforated Elastid Plate over a Range of Loads.- An Object Oriented Library for Evolution Programs.