CLASSIFICATION OF OPTIMIZATION
In general there are two types of optimization problems:
- Single-criterion optimization problem, which the designer's goal is to minimize or maximize one objective function. In this situation the optimum point is simply the minimum or maximum.
- Multi-criterion optimization problem, which the designer's goal is to minimize or maximize more than one objective function simultaneously. In this situation, all the objective functions should be considered to find the optimum solution.
The mathematical methods for optimum design can be divided into two categories:
- Analytical methods. This method includes differentiation, variational methods, and the use of Lagrange multipliers.
- Numerical methods. This method includes linear (simplex method) and nonlinear programming methods