FindMinimum
FindMinimum[f, 
x, 
] searches for a local minimum in f, starting from the point x=
.
FindMinimum returns a list of the form 
, 
x->
, where 
is the minimum value of f found, and 
is the value of x for which it is found.
FindMinimum[f, 
x, 
, 
] searches for a local minimum in f using 
and 
as the first two values of x. This form must be used if symbolic derivatives of f cannot be found.
FindMinimum[f, 
x, xstart, xmin, xmax
] searches for a local minimum, stopping the search if x ever gets outside the range xmin to xmax.
FindMinimum[f, 
x, 
, 
y, 
, ... ] searches for a local minimum in a function of several variables.
FindMinimum works by following the path of steepest descent from each point that it reaches. The minimum it finds is a local, but not necessarily a global, one.
The following options can be given:
The default settings for AccuracyGoal and PrecisionGoal are ten digits less than WorkingPrecision.
FindMinimum continues until either of the goals specified by AccuracyGoal or PrecisionGoal is achieved.
See The Mathematica Book on the web: Section 1.6.5 and Section 3.9.8.
Implementation Notes: see Section A.9.4.
See also: ConstrainedMin, LinearProgramming, D, Fit.
Further Examples
