[logo_ool.png]

                               Open Optimization Library

                       Easy-to-use High-level Optimization Codes

   The Open Optimization Library (OOL) is a set of optimization codes written in C,
   under the [1]GNU Scientific Library (GSL) standards. All the algorithms,
   implemented in OOL, were published in well known optimization journals.
   Initially, we present methods for minimization of functions subject to simple
   (box) bounds.

   MOTIVATION

   Our aim is to provide an open-source optimization library, made of classic and
   modern constrained optimization methods, suited to solving real practical
   applications. In this way, our library is GSL compliant. We hope that this
   alliance will provide an almost complete and usable scientific-code development
   environment. Moreover, there are the benefits of using a free scientific library
   (as described in the [2]GSL site) under the [3]GNU General Public License,
     * it allows easier collaboration, as the library is freely available to
       everyone;
     * softwares using the library must be, under the same principles, released
       publicly as source-code;
     * you can adapt the source code to your needs;
     * it respects your privacy - it does not impose any conditions on "in-house"
       use;
     * you can contribute back improvements to the user community.

   METHODS

   So far, the library implements three methods for minimization of differentiable
   functions subject to simple bound constraints:
     * PGRAD -- This is the "projected gradient method", as described in [4]Kelley
       (1999). As this method is the natural generalisation of the gradient method
       from unconstrained optimization, it is not intended to be used for
       production.
     * SPG -- This is the "Spectral Projected Gradient Method" introduced by
       [5]Birgin, Martínez e Raydan (2000) and based on the unconstrained algorithms
       of [6]Barzilai and Borwein (1988) and [7]Raydan (1993).
     * GENCAN -- This algorithm, introduced in [8]Birgin and Martínez (2002), is an
       active-set method, which combines an unconstrained method with a technique
       for dropping constraints from the working set.

   HOW TO HELP

   There are many ways to contribute to this project. Below, we suggest some.
     * Use the library
     * Report bugs
     * Report successes in using the library to solve relevant and/or difficult
       problems
     * Suggest enhancements, new features, new methods
     * Test the library on non-x86 plataforms
     * Submit patches
     * Implement optimization methods
     * Write interfaces to other libraries
     * Write wrapper to other languages (C++, Fortran, Java, ...)
     * Write/improve/revise documentation, user's guide, developer's guide
     * Promote the library

   LICENSE

   OOL is developed as a free software, released under the terms of the [9]GNU
   Public License (GPL).

   RELEASE

   The current realese is 0.2.0. For information concerning download, please look at
   the [10]OOL resource page at SourceForge.net.

   DOCUMENTATION

   There is a pre-released of the Reference Manual: [11][HTML] [12][PS] [13][PDF].

   CONTACT

   For more information about OOL, please contact any of the authors:
     * [14]R. Biloti: [15]biloti@users.sourceforge.net
     * [16]L. D'Afonseca: [17]akiles@users.sourceforge.net
     * [18]S. Ventura: [19]damxtha@users.sourceforge.net

   REFERENCES
     * J. Barzilai and J. M. Borwein, "Two point step size gradient methods", IMA
       Journal of Numerical Analysis, 8, pp 141-148 (1988).
     * E.G. Birgin and J.M. Martínez, "Large-scale active-set box-constrained
       optimization method with spectral projected gradients", Computational
       Optimization and Applications, 23, pp. 101-125 (2002).
     * E.G. Birgin, J.M. Martínez and M. Raydan, "Nonmonotone Spectral Projected
       Gradient Methods on Convex Sets", SIAM Journal on Optimization, 10, pp
       1196-1211 (2000).
     * C.T. Kelley, "Iterative Methods for Optimization", SIAM (1999).
     * M. Raydan, "On the Barzilai and Borwein choice of steplengths for the
       gradient method", IMA Journal of Numerical Analysis, 13, pp 321-326 (1993).

       [20]SourceForge Site Last updated at June 9th, 2005 [21]Valid HTML 4.01!

References

   1. http://www.gnu.org/software/gsl/
   2. http://www.gnu.org/software/gsl/
   3. http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html
   4. https://ool.sourceforge.net/#K1999
   5. https://ool.sourceforge.net/#BMR2000
   6. https://ool.sourceforge.net/#BB1998
   7. https://ool.sourceforge.net/#R1993
   8. https://ool.sourceforge.net/#BM2002
   9. http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html
  10. http://sourceforge.net/projects/ool
  11. https://ool.sourceforge.net/ool-ref.html
  12. https://ool.sourceforge.net/ool-ref.ps
  13. https://ool.sourceforge.net/ool-ref.pdf
  14. http://www.mat.ufpr.br/%7Ebiloti
  15. mailto:biloti@users.sourceforge.net
  16. http://www.thorus-scisoft.com.br/
  17. mailto:akiles@users.sourceforge.net
  18. http://www.mat.ufpr.br/%7Eventura
  19. mailto:damxtha@users.sourceforge.net
  20. http://sourceforge.net/
  21. http://validator.w3.org/check/referer