Optim box constrained optimization

Specific Domains Optimization (Mathematical)
1

Here’s the example for box constrained optimization in the docs:

using Optim
f(x) = (1.0 - x[1])^2 + 100.0 * (x[2] - x[1]^2)^2

function g!(G, x)
    G[1] = -2.0 * (1.0 - x[1]) - 400.0 * (x[2] - x[1]^2) * x[1]
    G[2] = 200.0 * (x[2] - x[1]^2)
end

lower = [1.25, -2.1]
upper = [Inf, Inf]
initial_x = [2.0, 2.0]
inner_optimizer = GradientDescent()
results = optimize(f, g!, lower, upper, initial_x, Fminbox(inner_optimizer))

This throws a MethodError: cannot convert an object of type Optim.GradientDescent{LineSearches.InitialPrevious{Float64}, LineSearchesHagerZhang{Float64},Void,Optim.##43#45} to an object of type Optim.Fminbox

This is using Optim v0.14.1 on Julia v0.6.2. Is there an issue with the documentation, or am I getting something wrong here?

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2

Why not use the latest version v0.15.2?

3

Fair question, that I can’t answer - Pkg.update() doesn’t seem to want to upgrade me, is it possible that using Julia 0.6.2 (which I can’t change that easily on the system I’m currently on) prevents me from getting the latest version?

4

That’s weird, could be conflicting requirements from other packages. Not sure if this is a great idea but you can always do git checkout v0.15.2 in the .julia/v0.6/Optim folder.

5

Came across this quite randomly, so probably won’t try and do that until I desperately need the Fminbox constructor to work! Is this issue solved in 0.15.2?

6

Should be, yes. But what is your Pkg.status()? Have you already checked something else out to its master branch?

Edit: To be clear, nothing is fixed on the latest version. You’re simply using documentation for one version of Optim and trying to use it to make a constructor call in another version of the package (where the signature was different!).

7

All good then, apologies for the confusion! Pkg.status() shows everything as normal, no checked out packages, but as I don’t desperately need this functionality right now I’ll just wait and see - will surely get onto 0.15.2 at some point!

1 Like