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Tree-based classifiers are important in pattern recognition and have been well studied. Although the problem of finding an optimal decision tree has received attention, it is a hard optimization problem. Here we propose utilizing a genetic algorithm to improve on the finding of compact, near-optimal decision trees. We present a method to encode and decode a decision tree to and from a chromosome where genetic operators such as mutation and crossover can be applied. Theoretical properties of decision trees, encoded chromosomes, and fitness functions are presented.