%K Planar Arrays Thinning, Almost Difference Sets, Genetic Algorithms, Array Synthesis %D 2018 %X This work presents an innovative hybrid approach for synthesizing thinned planar phased arrays. The a-priori information provided by analytical almost difference sets (ADSs) is profitably exploited by a customized stochastic optimization approach based on genetic algorithms (GAs). Such an ADSGA approach is able to overcome the current limitations of state-of-the-art techniques based on ADSs. Some numerical results are shown in order to assess the potentialities, as well as the limitations, of the proposed design methodology. %I ELEDIA Research Center - University of Trento %A M. Salucci %A G. Gottardi %A N. Anselmi %A G. Oliveri %L elediasc12770 %T ADSā€Guided Design of Planar Thinned Phased Arrays Through Genetic Optimization