A Gentle Introduction to Function Optimization

Function optimization is a foundational area of study and the techniques are used in almost every quantitative field.

Importantly, function optimization is central to almost all machine learning algorithms, and predictive modeling projects. As such, it is critical to understand what function optimization is, the terminology used in the field, and the elements that constitute a function optimization problem.

In this tutorial, you will discover a gentle introduction to function optimization.

After completing this tutorial, you will know:

• The three elements of function optimization as candidate solutions, objective functions, and cost.
• The conceptualization of function optimization as navigating a search space and response surface.
• The difference between global optima and local optima when solving a function optimization problem.

Kick-start