Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-numerical-linear-algebra-and-continuous-optimisation-course-of-the-university-of-oxford/2010/b/4/iii/solution

The quadratic model has gradient and positive-definite Hessian matrix . Its unique minimizer is therefore
If , then and , proving that it is a descent direction.
Backtracking line search starts with a trial step and repeatedly reduces it until the Armijo condition holds. Part (ii) guarantees finite termination because sufficiently small steps are acceptable. The test guarantees a specified positive fraction of the decrease predicted by the linear model, namely for an accepted positive step. It does not require solving the line-minimization problem exactly.

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