Engineering Design Optimization

Optimization is a human instinct. People constantly seek to improve their lives and the systems that surround them. Optimization is intrinsic in biology, as exemplified by the evolution of species. Birds optimize their wings' shape in real time, and dogs have been shown to find optimal trajectories. Even more broadly, many laws of physics relate to optimization, such as the principle of minimum energy. As Leonhard Euler once wrote, "nothing at all takes place in the universe in which some rule of maximum or minimum does not appear."

The philosophy of this book is to provide a detailed enough explanation and analysis of optimization methods so that readers can implement a basic working version. Practical tips are included throughout the book to alert the reader to common issues encountered in practical engineering design optimization and how to address them.

The target audience for this book is advanced undergraduate and beginning graduate students in science and engineering.