Design Theory and Methods using CAD/CAE

3.4. Graphical Solutions

Graphical methods offer means to seek optimal solutions quickly without involving numerical algorithms. Graphical visualization of the optimization problem and optimal solution in the design space enhances our understanding of the concept and numerical solution techniques to be discussed later. Because graphical methods require designers to plot the objective and constraint functions in the design space, the objective and constraint functions have to be written in terms of design variables explicitly. Moreover, graphical methods are effective only for up to two design variables. We use both linear and nonlinear programming problems to illustrate the use of the methods. In some examples, we use MATLAB plot functions to ...