README file in /proj/asc/mb1/optim/new

    Area for development of optimization routines. Ground rules for
    the routines:

    (a) should use value of function only, since many of the 
        quantities to be optimized are expressible only in 
        terms of complicated data sums

    (b) all routines will be in Sun Fortran 77

    (c) all routines will be called from master-routine OPTIM,
        with options indicating the type of optimization to be
        attempted.

        CALL OPTIM(FUNC,XVLO,XVEC,XVHI,NVEC,IOPT)

            FUNC = R*4 function = name of function to be 
                                  minimized over the quantities
                                  XVEC. The function should be
                                  callable as
                                  VALUE = FUNC(XVEC,NVEC)

            XVEC = R*4(length)  = vector of argument variables

            XVLO = R*4(length)  = vector of minimum allowed values
                                  of argument variables

            XVHI = R*4(length)  = vector of maximum allowed values
                                  of argument variables

            NVEC = I*4          = number of operative variables
                                  to minimise over in routine

            IOPT = I*4          = specify type of mimimization to
                                  attempt.

                                  IOPT = 1 => Grid-search
                                         2 => Monte Carlo
                                         3 => Powell
                                         4 => simplex
                                         5 => simulated anneal (1s)
                                         6 => simulated anneal (Ns)
                                         7 => sa(1s) + Powell
                                         8 => sa(Ns) + Powell

    (d) all the options in OPTIM are to be driven by calls of
        the form

        CALL GRIDS(FUNC,XVLO,XVEC,XVHI,NVEC)

        with the variables defined as above. The subroutines
        are permitted to modify XVEC only, and should return 
        the vector of best parameters after use.

    (e) all initial tests will be done with the problem of the
        minimum-energy configuration of a group of positive 
        charges, q, allowed to move on strings of fixed length, l,
        attached to an origin. The solutions are obvious for the 
        small numbers of strings, but harder for more strings!

    (f) controlling variables for the energy-function (ECONF, entered
        in the place of FUNC in the OPTIM call above) are to be stored
        in a parameter file PARAMETERS.INC

    (g) in this newer version, it is required that the optimization
        routines be set up using INIOP before they are run. With this
        facility, it is also possible to change the mode of operation
        of the routines "on-the-fly" using GETOP and PUTOP, which
        read and set the values of the parameters that control the
        workings of the routines.

  
                                                    MB   17-Nov-1992