User configured optimizer

• US 9,122,387 B1
• Filed: 11/07/2011
• Issued: 09/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The MathWorks, Inc.
• Original Assignee: The MathWorks, Inc.
• Inventors: Freeman, Mary Ann Branch, Marazzi, Marcelo, Berman, Marjorie, Kumar, Rakesh, Scott, Tara, Kidd, Amy, Lane, Thomas Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Hill, Stanley K
• Application Number:
  US13/290,694
• Time in Patent Office: 1,394 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/10 Complex mathematical operations function generation by table look-up G06F1/03; evaluation of elementary functions by calculation G06F7/544
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/11 for solving equations , e.g. nonlinear equations, general mathematical optimization problems optimization specially adapted for a specific administrative, business or logistic context G06Q10/04
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 20/00 Machine learning
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/04 Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202

Abstract

An adaptable graphical user interface is provided. The interface may include a setup region to display a group of available solvers to a user and to display parameters for at least one of the group of solvers to the user. The interface may include an options region to display a first group of active options to a user without requiring a user input for the first group of active options, where the first group of active options is determined based on a selected one of the group of solvers. The options region may further display a second group of active options to the user when another one of the solvers is selected by the user, where the second group of active options differs from the first group of active options.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer executable instructions, the instructions comprising:

one or more instructions that, when executed, cause a computing device to;

display a plurality of solvers in a first region of a graphical interface on a display device;

receive a first selection of a first selected solver,

the first selected solver being selected from among the plurality of solvers in the first region of the graphical interface, and

the first selected solver being associated with a first configuration of one or more active options;

display the first configuration of one or more active options in a second region of the graphical interface;

display reference information based on the first selected solver or based on the displayed first configuration of one or more active options;

receive a second selection of a second selected solver from among the plurality of solvers,

the second selection being received in the first region of the graphical interface,

the second selected solver being associated with a second configuration of one or more active options, and

the second configuration of one or more active options being different from the first configuration of one or more active options;

dynamically update the second region on the graphical interface to display the second configuration of one or more active options, the dynamically updating based on receiving the second selection of the second selected solver;

dynamically update the reference information based on the second selection of the second selected solver;

run the first selected solver or the second selected solver against a problem to produce a result; and

display the result on the display device or store the result in a memory.

2. The medium of claim 1, wherein the plurality of solvers comprise at least one of a solver for solving a binary integer programming problem, a solver for solving a linear programming problem, a solver for solving a quadratic programming problem, and a solver for solving a multiobjective goal attainment optimization problem.

3. The medium of claim 1, wherein the plurality of solvers comprise at least one of a solver for finding a minimum of a single-variable function on a fixed interval, a solver for finding a minimum of a constrained nonlinear multivariable function, a solver for finding a minimum of the worst-case value of a set of multivariable functions, a solver for finding a minimum of an unconstrained nonlinear multivariable functions using a derivative-free method, a solver for finding a minimum of an unconstrained nonlinear multivariable function, and a solver for finding a minimum of a semi-infinitely constrained nonlinear multivariable function.

4. The medium of claim 1, wherein the plurality of solvers comprise at least one of a solver for solving a system of nonlinear equations and a solver for finding a root of a nonlinear equation.

5. The medium of claim 1, wherein the plurality of solvers comprise at least one of a solver for solving a nonlinear curve fitting problem in the least-squares sense, a solver for solving a constrained linear least-squares problem, a solver for solving a nonlinear least-squares problem, and a solver for finding a minimum of a nonnegative least-squares problem.

6. The medium of claim 1, wherein the plurality of solvers comprise at least one of a solver for finding a minimum of a constrained nonlinear multivariable function using a genetic algorithm, a solver for finding a minimum of an unconstrained nonlinear multivariable function using a genetic algorithm, and a solver for solving a multiobjective nonlinear multivariable function using a genetic algorithm.

7. The medium of claim 1, wherein the plurality of solvers comprise at least one of a solver for finding a minimum of a constrained nonlinear multivariable function using derivative-free method, a solver for finding a minimum of an unconstrained nonlinear multivariable function using derivative-free method, a solver for finding a global minimum of a constrained nonlinear multivariable function, a solver for finding a global minimum of an unconstrained nonlinear multivariable function, a solver for finding multiple minima and the global minima of a constrained nonlinear multivariable function, and a solver for finding multiple minima and the global minima of an unconstrained nonlinear multivariable function.

8. The medium of claim 1, wherein the selection of the first solver is a default selection.

9. A computing device, comprising:

a non-transitory storage medium storing instructions; and

a processor programmed to execute the instructions, the instructions when executed causing the processor to;

provide a graphical user interface, the graphical user interface displaying;

a first region comprising a plurality of solvers, and

a second region comprising information about the plurality of solvers,

receive a selection of a selected solver from among the plurality of solvers in the first region of the graphical user interface;

display options, where the options are;

related to the selected solver,

displayed in the second region of the graphical user interface, and

displayed based on the selection of the selected solver;

display reference information relating to the selected solver,

wherein the options are dynamically updated based on selections in the first region of the graphical user interface or the second region of the graphical user interface to display a configuration of active options that is dependent on the solver selected in the first region;

run the selected solver against a problem to produce a result; and

display the result on the graphical user interface.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the plurality of solvers comprise at least one of a solver for solving a binary integer programming problem, a solver for solving a linear programming problem, a solver for solving a quadratic programming problem, and a solver for solving a multiobjective goal attainment optimization problem.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein the plurality of solvers comprise at least one of a solver for finding a minimum of a single-variable function on a fixed interval, a solver for finding a minimum of a constrained nonlinear multivariable function, a solver for finding a minimum of the worst-case value of a set of multivariable functions, a solver for finding a minimum of an unconstrained nonlinear multivariable functions using a derivative-free method, a solver for finding a minimum of an unconstrained nonlinear multivariable function, and a solver for finding a minimum of a semi-infinitely constrained nonlinear multivariable function.

12. The device of claim 9, wherein the plurality of solvers comprise at least one of a solver for solving a system of nonlinear equations and a solver for finding a root of a nonlinear equation.

13. The device of claim 9, wherein the plurality of solvers comprise at least one of a solver for solving a nonlinear curve fitting problem in the least-squares sense, a solver for solving a constrained linear least-squares problem, a solver for solving a nonlinear least-squares problem, and a solver for finding a minimum of a nonnegative least-squares problem.

14. The device of claim 9, wherein the plurality of solvers comprise at least one of a solver for finding a minimum of a constrained nonlinear multivariable function using a genetic algorithm, a solver for finding a minimum of an unconstrained nonlinear multivariable function using a genetic algorithm, and a solver for solving a multiobjective nonlinear multivariable function using a genetic algorithm.

15. The device of claim 9, wherein the plurality of solvers comprise at least one of a solver for finding a minimum of a constrained nonlinear multivariable function using derivative-free method, a solver for finding a minimum of an unconstrained nonlinear multivariable function using derivative-free method, a solver for finding a global minimum of a constrained nonlinear multivariable function, a solver for finding a global minimum of an unconstrained nonlinear multivariable function, a solver for finding multiple minima and the global minima of a constrained nonlinear multivariable function, and a solver for finding multiple minima and the global minima of an unconstrained nonlinear multivariable function.

16. The device of claim 9, wherein the selection of the selected solver is a selection of a default solver.

17. A computer-implemented method comprising:

displaying a plurality of solvers in a first region of a graphical interface on a display device;

receiving a first selection of a first selected solver from among the plurality of solvers in the first region of the graphical interface, the first selected solver being associated with a first configuration of one or more active options;

displaying the first configuration of one or more active options in a second region of the graphical interface;

displaying reference information based on the first selected solver or based on the first configuration of one or more active options

receiving a second selection of a second selected solver from among the plurality of solvers, the second selection being received in the first region of the graphical interface, the second selected solver being associated with a second configuration of one or more active options that is different from the first configuration of one or more active options;

dynamically update the second region on the graphical interface to display the second configuration of one or more active options upon receiving the second selection of the second selected solver;

updating the reference information based on the second selection of the second selected solver;

running the first selected solver or the second selected solver against a problem to produce a result; and

displaying the result on the display device or storing the result in a memory.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the plurality of solvers comprise at least one of a solver for solving a binary integer programming problem, a solver for solving a linear programming problem, a solver for solving a quadratic programming problem, and a solver for solving a multiobjective goal attainment optimization problem.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the plurality of solvers comprise at least one of a solver for finding a minimum of a single-variable function on a fixed interval, a solver for finding a minimum of a constrained nonlinear multivariable function, a solver for finding a minimum of the worst-case value of a set of multivariable functions, a solver for finding a minimum of an unconstrained nonlinear multivariable functions using a derivative-free method, a solver for finding a minimum of an unconstrained nonlinear multivariable function, and a solver for finding a minimum of a semi-infinitely constrained nonlinear multivariable function.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the plurality of solvers comprise at least one of a solver for solving a system of nonlinear equations and a solver for finding a root of a nonlinear equation.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the plurality of solvers comprise at least one of a solver for solving a nonlinear curve fitting problem in the least-squares sense, a solver for solving a constrained linear least-squares problem, a solver for solving a nonlinear least-squares problem, and a solver for finding a minimum of a nonnegative least-squares problem.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein the plurality of solvers comprise at least one of a solver for finding a minimum of a constrained nonlinear multivariable function using a genetic algorithm, a solver for finding a minimum of an unconstrained nonlinear multivariable function using a genetic algorithm, and a solver for solving a multiobjective nonlinear multivariable function using a genetic algorithm.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein the plurality of solvers comprise at least one of a solver for finding a minimum of a constrained nonlinear multivariable function using derivative-free method, a solver for finding a minimum of an unconstrained nonlinear multivariable function using derivative-free method, a solver for finding a global minimum of a constrained nonlinear multivariable function, a solver for finding a global minimum of an unconstrained nonlinear multivariable function, a solver for finding multiple minima and the global minima of a constrained nonlinear multivariable function, and a solver for finding multiple minima and the global minima of an unconstrained nonlinear multivariable function.