New optimization method is highly suitable for chemical engineering applications

A new optimization method involving only elementary calculus represents a significant simplification over existing methods. It makes for the easy and rapid solution of many complex problems in chemical engineering. In addition to making use of the first derivative, as in most other methods, the new method also calls for the second derivative of the function to be optimized. When going from one point to another, the method consists essentially in adding simultaneously to each independent variable an increment which, for a given variable, is equal to the negative ratio of the first partial derivative to the second partial derivative, and so on until optimum conditions are reached. A few mathematical examples illustrate the speed of the new method and permit comparisons with other well known methods. Numerical applications pertaining to chemical engineering are also presented.