DIFFERENTIAL GRADIENT METHODS

A class of recently developed differential descent methods for function minimization is presented and discussed, and a number of algorithms are derived which minimize a quadratic function in a finite number of steps and rapidly minimize general functions. The main characteristics of our algorithms are that a more general curvilinear search path is used instead of a ray and that the eigensystem of the Hessian matrix is associated with the function minimization problem. The curvilinear search paths are obtained by solving certain initial-value systems of differential equations, which also suggest the development of modifications of known numerical integration techniques for use in function minimization. Results obtained on testing the algorithms on a number of test functions are also given and possible areas for future research indicated. © 1978.