MathGroup Archive 2002

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Q: argmax

  • To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
  • Subject: [mg36667] Q: argmax
  • From: Jason Miller <millerj at truman.edu>
  • Date: Wed, 18 Sep 2002 02:09:52 -0400 (EDT)
  • Sender: owner-wri-mathgroup at wolfram.com

I never liked the function, but now I have need of it.  I hope 
someone can help me see the way to implement it.

For a class I am teaching I want to write a simple function that does 
a random search for a function's maxima.  I feed the function N 
randomly generated inputs and look at the outputs.  Provided N is 
large enough, the largest of the outputs I obtain should be near the 
function's maximum value.

What I want to be able to do is to identify the input that gave me 
that largest output.  Any ideas?

My only idea is this:  create a table of pairs {output, input{ and 
find the element of the table that has the largest first entry.  This 
will give me the input I seek.  Is there a slick way of doing this in 
mathematica?

-- 
Jason Miller, Ph.D.
Division of Mathematics and Computer Science
Truman State University
100 East Normal St.
Kirksville, MO  63501
http://vh216801.truman.edu
660.785.7430


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