Re: Finding the Local Minima of a somewhat complicated function
- To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
- Subject: [mg116021] Re: Finding the Local Minima of a somewhat complicated function
- From: DrMajorBob <btreat1 at austin.rr.com>
- Date: Sat, 29 Jan 2011 05:27:56 -0500 (EST)
I believe you can solve it for all a in one go:
Clear[fun]
fun[a_, y_] = (1000 - 5*a)/10000000000 +
332*(y/10000000000 + (1 - y)*(1/5000000000 + y))
+(1/2)*y*(1000 - 5*a + 1000*(-1/10)) +
0.695*a*(-(Log[10000000000]/10000000000) + (1 - y)*Log[1 - y] +
y*Log[y]) // Rationalize;
start = 10^(-20);
end = 1 - 10^(-20);
Minimize[{fun[a, y], start <= y <= end}, y]
{(333000000008300000000829999999917 -
1250000000000000000000000000000 a)/
2500000000000000000000000000000000000000, {y ->
9999999999/
20000000000 + (\[Sqrt](8300000014980000000083 -
50000000000 a + (-333000000008300000000829999999917 +
1250000000000000000000000000000 a)/
25000000000000000000))/(20000000000 Sqrt[83])}}
Bobby
On Fri, 28 Jan 2011 05:14:32 -0600, Andrew DeYoung
<adeyoung at andrew.cmu.edu> wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I have a function that consists of two variables, y and a. I would
> like to find the local minimum of the function in y for various
> constant values of a.
>
> For example, the list of a values is given by:
>
> atable = Range[100, 300, 5];
>
> For each a value in atable, I want to find the local minimum of the
> function in y. My function is "fun," and I use code like the
> following:
>
> fun=(1000-5*a)/10000000000+332*(y/10000000000+(1-y)*(1/5000000000+y))
> +(1/2)*y*(1000-5*a+1000*(-1/10))+0.695*a*(-(Log[10000000000]/
> 10000000000)+(1-y)*Log[1-y]+y*Log[y]);
>
> startPoint = 10^(-20);
> endPoint = 1-10^(-20);
> minData = Table[FindMinimum[fun /. a -> j, {y, startPoint, endPoint}],
> {j, atable}]
>
> Above, I use startPoint=10^(-20) and endPoint=1-10^(-20) because the
> function is indeterminate at y=0 and at y=1. When I run the above
> code, I see that for most (but not all) values of a, Mathematica does
> not find a local minimum. Why is this so?
>
> Of course, it could be that the function does not have a local minimum
> at those values of a where Mathematica does not find one. But, if I
> plot fun at a=300, for example, the plot shows that there is a local
> minimum at something like y=0.945:
>
> Plot[fun /. a -> 300, {y, 0, 1}]
>
> But if I ask Mathematica to find that local minimum...
>
> FindMinimum[fun /. a -> 300, {y, startPoint, endPoint}]
>
> ...Mathematica will not find it.
>
> Can you please help me understand why I am having trouble finding the
> local minima?
>
> Many thanks in advance,
>
> Andrew DeYoung
> Carnegie Mellon University
>
--
DrMajorBob at yahoo.com