holland's schema theorem, also called the fundamental theorem of genetic algorithms, is a theorem regarding genetic algorithms. it says that individuals with a fitness that is higher than average are more likely to prevail. john holland proposed the theorem in the 1970s. at the start, it was used as the foundation for explanations of the power of genetic algorithms. this interpreation has been criticized in several publications, where the schema theorem is shown to be a special case of the price equation with the schema indicator function as the macroscopic measurement.