Template talk:Optimization algorithms

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Constrained nonlinear optimization

Most of the nonlinear topics include only unconstrained methods. It would be good to have a group for constrained optimization: Sequential unconstrained minimization techniques (SUMT), sequential quadratic programming, augmented Lagrangian methods, Proximal point methods; Successive linear programming (like MS Excel's solver), Gradient projection methods (Lancelot), Michael Saunders's MINOS; Filter methods (Fletcher), etc. Kiefer.Wolfowitz (talk) 23:17, 8 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Heuristics

Previously, there were 3 lines of heuristics, out of proportion to the treatment of heuristics in optimization textbooks and surveys. There were two other problems, imho.

First, many of the heuristics that were listed have severe problems with notability, just to be listed in Wikipedia, and some have problems with single-purpose accounts (often anonymous IPs) being the main and nearly sole author: such editing is often associated with conflicts of interest, especially self-promotion. I removed all the heuristics with such problems with notability (with even having a WP article).

Second, many of the remaining heuristics were perhaps notable enough to have a Wikidia article, although the concerns with self-promotion and COI remain with a few of them (which seem to share the same editors). However, regardless of their merits as heuristics, many of those heuristics are not described in optimization textbooks and so fail notability to be in the footer for computational optimization. I removed the heuristics that are not discussed by optimization textbooks from this optimization footer.

(It might be useful to create a heuristic footer with them, because they do share a lot of commonalities.)

Finally, I think that my edits are consensus in optimization, because our optimization articles ignore the heuristics that I deleted, which makes it really weird to devote the header to them. I did ask for second opinions at the Wikiprojects in computer science, mathematics, and systems (operations research).

Sincerely, Kiefer.Wolfowitz (talk) 11:03, 30 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]

I don't think branch and bound belongs in the heuristics category as it is a complete, unlike the other algorithms in that category. I'd put it in a category on integer linear programming or search algorithms. —Ruud 19:34, 30 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]