Optimization of a Polynomial Function

This is a simple optimization example that shows how the solution can converge to different values if the function contains more than one local maximum or minimum. The equation used in this example is a quartic (fourth order) polynomial with two local maximum values. I has the following form: y = ax^4 + bx^3 + cx^2 - dx + e. Values of a, b, c, d and e are kept fixed while x is varied to find the values for which y is a maximum. To run the optimization, go to the Run menu and click on Optimization. The element "y" should be selected as the objective function and x should be selected as the optimization variable. The parameters a, b, c, d and e should not be added as optimization variables. With multiple optimization runs, the value of x should converge toward either -83 (where y = 5892) or 88 (where y = 5239).

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