Intelligent space tube optimizer

This disclosure presents the Intelligent Space Tube Optimization (ISTO) method for developing computationally optimal designs or strategies. ISTO is especially valuable if predicting system response to the design or strategy is computationally intensive, and many predictions are needed in the optimization process. ISTO creates adaptively evolving multi-dimensional decision space tube(s), develops or trains surrogate simulators for the space about the tube(s), performs optimization about the tube(s) using primarily the surrogate simulators and selected optimizer(s), and then can revert to an original simulator for efficient final optimizations. A space tube consists of overlapping multi-dimensional subspaces, and lengthens in the direction of the optimal solution. The space tube can shrink or expand to aid convergence and escape from local optima. ISTO can employ any appropriate type of surrogate simulator and can employ any type of optimizer. ISTO includes a multiple cycling approach. One ISTO cycle involves: (i) defining the multi-dimensional space tube; (ii) generating strategies about the space tube's subspace; (iii) simulating system response to the strategies using an original simulator; (iv) developing or training surrogate simulators, such as regression equations or ANNs; (v) performing optimization about the subspace, primarily using the substitute simulators; (vi) analyzing the optimal strategy; and (vii) evaluating whether space tube radius (radii) modification is required. Based on optimization performance or to escape from a locally optimal solution, the ISTO automatically adjusts the space tube dimensions and location. ISTO cycling terminates per stopping criterion. After cycling terminates, ISTO can proceed to optimize while employing an original simulator, rather than the surrogate. This feature is useful because when optimization problem constraints become extremely tight, predictive accuracy becomes increasingly important.