Method and apparatus for computer controlled nonlinear optimization.

摘要

In nonlinear optimization a plurality of optimization methods are stored (100) in a computer system as are techniques (101,102) (knowledge) for applying those methods. Such techniques may be divided into common knowledge (101) which are techniques applicable to all nonlinear optimization methods and domain knowledge (102) which are techniques applicable to a corresponding one of the methods. When an optimization problem is input (103) to the computer system, the system first selects (104) one of the methods and applies it (108) to the problem using the common knowledge and any relevant domain knowledge. If that method does not produce an optimum result, the system tries to solve the problem with another method, again making use of the common knowledge and the respective domain knowledge. This process is repeated until an optimum solution is obtained. The method is applicable to computer control of industrial plants and systems and to computer aided design.