Abstract:Genetic algorithm,newly advanced,is used to cope with nonlinear optimizatinn problem.In recent years,it has become an important subject people research into inapplied geophysics.We detail its principle and analyse its efficiency in different aspects.It is shown that the genetic algorithm very favours the inversion without borehole data restriction,and the inversion relating to low signal/noise ratio data.The analyses of its stability and its sensitivity to noise show that the genetic algorithm is quite noise resistant.The genetic algorithm has been initially used in interval velocity inversion of seismic data and displays its potentiality in seismic data processing.