Optimization techniques for hydrologic engineering

Optimization processes show considerable promise for a reasonable solution of the increasingly complex design and operation problems that occur in water resources engineering. Gradient methods of optimization should appeal to the engineer, because the methods can be used within the framework of traditional engineering analyses (e.g., multipurpose sequential routing or system simulation), where the components of the system can be changed in successive trials to obtain the best combination most rapidly. They can most easily be adapted to practical complex problems and appear to require minimum programming and computation time. Because of the large amount of computation involved, optimization procedures almost always require the use of high‐speed digital computers.