SimpleEvol: An Agent-Loop Framework for LLM-Driven Automated Heuristic Design with Minimal Human Priors

Large language models (LLMs) have emerged as powerful tools for automated heuristic design (AHD), enabling iterative generation and refinement of heuristics. However, the dominant paradigm embeds LLMs as narrow, fixed components, such as crossover or mutation, within heavily hand-engineered evolutio