Services & ResourcesWolfram ForumsMathGroup Archive

[Date Index] [Thread Index] [Author Index]

FindMinimum

• To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
• Subject: [mg51547] FindMinimum
• From: Steve Gray <stevebg at adelphia.net>
• Date: Thu, 21 Oct 2004 22:21:33 -0400 (EDT)
• Sender: owner-wri-mathgroup at wolfram.com

	FindMinimum is described as finding strictly LOCAL minima of the finction. To me this means
that it will only go downward from the starting point. Therefore it should never cross "walls" or
regions of higher value, even if the specified search limits includes such regions. That is what I
wanted in a search of a highly nonlinear function of 2 variables. But I have some evidence that it
did not strictly search downward, but rather found the lowest value in the search range by crossing
over a region of higher value.
	Can anyone describe more thoroughly or accurately exactly what it does? Thank you.

Steve Gray

• Follow-Ups:
  • Re: FindMinimum
    • From: DrBob <drbob@bigfoot.com>