MERLIN-3. 0. A multidimensional optimization environment (Q1299612)

Multidimensional minimization is a common procedure needed in many fields. A variety of problems in engineering, physics, chemistry, etc., is frequently reduced to one of minimizing a function of many variables. It has been realized that one needs a strategy, combining different methods, to handle efficiently a wide spectrum of problems. The authors present MERLIN -- an integrated environment designed to solve optimization problems. Robust and powerful algorithms are used that guarantee its effectiveness. It is devised to be easy-to-use, and implemented so as to be portable among different platforms. MERLIN is open, i.e. a plug-in mechanism is provided so that others can easily embed their own code modules. The environment offers programmability and ease of use by providing a specialized operating system and a control language that can be used to create successful optimization strategies. The authors report on several applications where this software has been successfully used.