Genetic algorithms are a type of evolutionary algorithm used to find optimal or near-optimal solutions to problems by mimicking biological evolution. They work by maintaining a population of candidate solutions and applying genetic operators like selection, crossover and mutation to generate new solutions. A fitness function evaluates the solutions, with more fit solutions being more likely to be selected for reproduction. Over many generations, the population evolves toward an optimal solution. Genetic algorithms are inspired by Darwinian evolution and use techniques like inheritance, mutation, selection and crossover. They have been shown to reliably find good solutions to problems that are not well suited for standard optimization algorithms.